Higgs particles, also known as the “God Particle,” are theoretical units that could explain the origin of matter and the universe’s mass. The Large Hadron Collider may offer clues about their existence, but their elusive nature means they may never be found. Stephen Hawking hoped they wouldn’t be found to encourage further exploration, while Peter Higgs believes they will be discovered.
Higgs particles, also known as the Higgs boson, are units that have been theorized in particle physics but, to date, have not been proven to exist. They are sometimes referred to as God Particles because they are thought to be all around us, yet nearly imperceptible. These are some of the same traits that people associate with God hence the reason for the name.
Higgs particles are thought to exist in a field known as the Higgs field. Both are named after the physicist who first developed the theory, Peter Higgs. In general, Higgs particles could explain what gives matter mass, and thus makes up the universe. In the most basic sense, it could help humans understand where we come from. That quest for self-discovery, perhaps more than any other, is what drives physicists to search for Higgs particles.
Although the Higgs particles are still theoretical, some say your best chance of finding them may be a large machine that went online in the summer of 2008 known as the Large Hadron Collider. This piece of equipment, buried underground, straddles the border between France and Switzerland. It is 17 miles (27 km) in circumference and is designed to collide protons at nearly the speed of light.
This collision could offer clues about the design of the universe. In a sense, the Large Hadron Collider hopes to simulate the moment when the universe was theoretically born, the Big Bang. If it can, evidence of Higgs particles could be part of that observation.
In 2008, Stephen Hawking, one of the world’s most famous physicists, said that more work would have to be done before scientists could find the elusive Higgs particles. While some pinned their hopes on the initial experiments at the Large Hadron Collider, Hawking believed it would have been much more interesting if the particles hadn’t been found. This would encourage humanity to keep looking for answers.
Conversely, Higgs himself believes there is a high probability that the Large Hadron Collider will find Higgs particles. If the Big Bang can be successfully recreated, then the particles that existed the most, before much more mass was created, would likely be evident. If all goes according to plan for some, this would confirm the existence of Higgs particles. However, given the size of what you’re looking for and the nature of the Higgs particles themselves, there’s a chance they may always remain elusive.
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