Higgs boson discovery paper
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The Discovery of the Higgs Boson: A Milestone in Particle Physics
Introduction to the Higgs Boson Discovery
The discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2012 marked a pivotal moment in the field of particle physics. This fundamental scalar particle, with a mass of approximately 125 GeV, was the last missing piece of the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics . The Higgs boson is crucial for understanding the mechanism that gives mass to the W and Z gauge bosons, which mediate the weak interactions, as well as to the charged fermions.
Confirmation of the Standard Model
The discovery of the Higgs boson provided strong evidence for the Brout-Englert-Higgs (BEH) mechanism, which had been proposed nearly 50 years earlier to explain electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB). This discovery confirmed the SM's predictions about the nature of the Higgs field and its role in giving mass to other particles . The observation of the Higgs boson decaying to vector bosons was a significant milestone, reinforcing the validity of the SM.
Precision Measurements and Future Prospects
Following the discovery, the focus has shifted to precision measurements of the Higgs boson's properties and its interactions with other particles. These measurements are essential for probing the Higgs boson's couplings and self-interactions, which could reveal new physics beyond the SM . The High-Luminosity LHC program and proposed lepton collider-based Higgs factories, such as the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC), aim to achieve these precision measurements .
Implications for New Physics
The Higgs boson's mass places the vacuum of the SM close to the border of stable and metastable, suggesting potential new physics beyond the SM . This has significant implications for our understanding of the universe, including the cosmological constant, dark energy, dark matter, and the early universe's phase transitions. The scrutiny of the Higgs boson's properties is crucial for identifying any deviations from SM expectations, which could point the way to new physics.
Theoretical and Experimental Challenges
The discovery of the Higgs boson has also led to a reconfiguration of the model landscape in particle physics. While the SM remains the commonly accepted framework, alternative models, such as composite Higgs models, continue to be explored . Theoretical and experimental efforts are ongoing to understand the full implications of the Higgs boson discovery and to search for any hints of physics beyond the SM .
Conclusion
The discovery of the Higgs boson was a monumental achievement in particle physics, confirming the SM's predictions and opening new avenues for research. Precision measurements of the Higgs boson's properties and interactions are essential for probing deeper into the fundamental nature of the universe and potentially uncovering new physics. The ongoing and future experiments at the LHC and proposed Higgs factories will continue to play a crucial role in this endeavor.
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