Higgs
Mass-giving particle's namesake
Higgs refers to the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle theorized in the 1960s and confirmed in 2012.
The particle explains how other particles acquire mass through interaction with the Higgs field.
Named after physicist Peter Higgs, it's sometimes called the "God particle"—a term physicists generally dislike: The discovery of the Higgs confirmed a key prediction of particle physics.
Integer-spin subatomic particle
- fieldArea of specialty
- standard modelAccepted reference framework
- CERNEuropean nuclear research organization
- Large Hadron ColliderCircular particle accelerator beneath Switzerland
discovery · Nobel Prize · scalar · decay · detection · collider · CMS · particle physics
Invariance under transformation
- gaugeStandard of measurement
- unificationMerging into one entity
- couplingJoint between systems
- potentialLatent capacity for development
Sustained price level increase
- phase transitionMatter shifting between states
- cosmic inflationUniverse's first exponential stretch
- Big BangUniverse's explosive origin
- primordialExisting from the start
boson
Integer-spin subatomic particle
- fieldArea of specialty
- standard modelAccepted reference framework
- CERNEuropean nuclear research organization
Large Hadron Collider · discovery · Nobel Prize · scalar · decay · detection · collider · CMS · particle physics · fundamental
symmetry
Invariance under transformation
- gaugeStandard of measurement
- unificationMerging into one entity
- couplingJoint between systems
inflation
Sustained price level increase
- phase transitionMatter shifting between states
- cosmic inflationUniverse's first exponential stretch
- Big BangUniverse's explosive origin
- scalar bosonsmoduli
- particle physicsquark, quarks, lepton, leptons, boson
- acceleratorsparticle accelerator, linear accelerator, cyclotron, synchrotron, collider
- Higgs bosonElementary particle explaining mass