The Higgs boson, named after the Edinburgh University physicist Peter Higgs, who proposed it in 1964, has become the most sought-after particle in modern science and its discovery is a major focus of research at the LHC.
Discovery of the particle would be proof of an invisible energy field that fills the vacuum of space. Without it, or something to do its job, there would be no stars, planets or life as we know it.
According to theory, the Higgs field switched on a trillionth of a second after the big bang that flung the universe into existence. Before this moment, all of the particles in the universe were massless and zipped around at the speed of light.
When the Higgs field switched on, it changed the future of the universe. Particles such as the quarks and electrons that make up normal matter felt a "drag" from the field, which manifests itself as mass. The more a particle feels the field, the heavier it becomes. Some particles, like photons, pass through the field untouched, and so remain massless and move at the speed of light.
The date today is the 4th July 2012 - and a very big announcement is expected from those involved in looking for this particle.
I wonder if they can now confirm its existence?
Discovery of the particle would be proof of an invisible energy field that fills the vacuum of space. Without it, or something to do its job, there would be no stars, planets or life as we know it.
According to theory, the Higgs field switched on a trillionth of a second after the big bang that flung the universe into existence. Before this moment, all of the particles in the universe were massless and zipped around at the speed of light.
When the Higgs field switched on, it changed the future of the universe. Particles such as the quarks and electrons that make up normal matter felt a "drag" from the field, which manifests itself as mass. The more a particle feels the field, the heavier it becomes. Some particles, like photons, pass through the field untouched, and so remain massless and move at the speed of light.
The date today is the 4th July 2012 - and a very big announcement is expected from those involved in looking for this particle.
I wonder if they can now confirm its existence?