Contemporary Science Issue - The Elusive Higgs Boson

The Elusive Higgs Boson

Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have discovered a new sub-atomic particle consistent with the long-sought Higgs boson. The particle's confirmation would stand out as one of the greatest scientific achievements of the 21st Century so far. 

But what exactly is the Higgs Boson?

The Higgs Boson

There is a sturdy theory for how much of the Universe works - all of the particles that make up atoms and molecules and all the matter we see, most of the forces that direct them, and a small zoo of more exotic particles. This is called the Standard Model. However, there is a glaring hole in the theory: it does not explain how it is that some of those particles gain their mass. The Higgs mechanism was proposed in 1964 by six physicists, including the Edinburgh-based theoretician Peter Higgs, as an explanation to fill this hole.

How do scientists search for it?

The scientists search for it by using Particle accelerators such as the LHC  to systematically search for the particle over a range of masses where it could plausibly be. The LHC works by smashing together two beams of the sub-atomic particles called protons at close to light-speed. This generates a vast shower of particles that are only created at high energies. The Higgs will probably never be observed directly, but scientists at the LHC have been looking for a Higgs that fleetingly exists in this soup of particles. If it behaves as researchers think it will, it should decay further into yet more particles, leaving a trail that proves its existence. 

If it is discovered and proven to be true, then it would be a triumph for our understanding of physics, would be far less exciting than not finding it. It is those kinds of surprises that have led to great revolutions in science.

Reflecions:

I think this is a great breakthrough in the world of Science. It explains how atoms gain mass and with that knowledge, more can be discovered about the world around us. Without mass, cars, trees, buildings, planets, even us, will not have existed. This makes it especially significant. But still, the true benefits that this knowledge will bring us is still unknown. "The likely benefits of this we can't begin to guess at," Dr Alan Barr, a lecturer in physics of Oxford University has said. "The benefits could come 50 or 100 years into the future." I cannot help but wonder how much more there are to discover about the world around us, and how much we already have. I hope we will be able to make more scientific breakthroughs in the furutre that will benefit Mankind!