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Join us on May 29, 2013, to explore the enigmatic Higgs boson and the four forces of nature explained through fascinating causation concepts. Learn about the photon, gluon, and more in a casual, interactive setting.
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Everything You Wanted to Know about the HIGGS BOSON But were afraid to ask… Crepe Place “Science on Tap” Gathering May 29 2013
THE HIGGS BOSON: WHAT IS IT? Many have tried to define and describe the Higgs boson to audiences of non-physicists Few have lived to tell the tale.
THE HIGGS BOSON: WHAT IS IT? Many have tried to define and describe the Higgs boson to audiences of non-physicists Few have lived to tell the tale. Please: If you haven’t already, check your rifles and shivs with the bouncer… America’s Most Wanted
THE “FOUR FORCES OF NATURE” • The Universe is only an interesting place because of causation – the capability of objects to exert influence on one another. • Current evidence tells us that this influence is brought about through four modes of interaction: • Gravity – that persistent tug • Electromagnetism – pretty much everything we sense • Nuclear interaction (weak) – nuclear -decay (obscure) • Nuclear interaction (strong) – holds together nuclei Why the quotes? There really aren’t four of them. Nor is the term “force” is general enough to specify their role in nature…
UNIFICATION • Physicist in the shower: • “Hmmm… ain’t but one universe. Why should it have four forces? One force would make a lot more sense.” • Unification But… they’re all so different! Let’s start with electromagnetism and the weak nuclear force It’s from the resulting unified theory of the “electroweak force” that the Higgs boson arises
Electron#2 t (time) Electron #1 “photon" x (position) Electron #1 Electron #2 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory Main Architect: Richard “Dick” Feynman In a nutshell: Objects influence one another by tossing things around. For electromagnetism, that “thing” For electromagnetism, this “thing” is just the photon, i.e., the Force, this quantum is know as a gluon. N.B.: These things are collectively know as “field quanta”
RELATIVISTIC QUANTUM FIELD THEORY Main architect: Richard “Dick” Feynman In a nutshell:
THE HIGGS BOSON: WHAT IS IT? Many have tried to define and describe the Higgs boson to audiences of non-physicists Few have lived to tell the tale.