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Chapter 33: Q31CQ (page 1211)

If the Higgs boson is discovered and found to have mass, will it be considered the ultimate carrier of the weak force? Explain your response.

Short Answer

Expert verified

It will not because the Higgs' role in the Standard model is to provide mass to other particles via the Higgs mechanism, not to carry the weak force.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Higgs boson theory

The Higgs boson, also known as the Higgs particle, is an elementary particle in particle physics produced by the quantum excitation of the Higgs field, one of the fields in particle physics theory.

02

Explanation

Even though it is a massive boson, the Higgs boson is not a carrier of the weak force (note that photons and gluons are both massless bosons).

The carriers of the weak force are W+, W-, and Z0 bosons, while the Higgs boson gives rise to the particle's mass via the Higgs mechanism.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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