“I
would like to add my congratulations to everyone involved in this achievement.
It's really an incredible thing that it's happened in my lifetime”
Professor
Peter Higgs during the presentation by the CERN Scientists on Wednesday July 4th
2012 at the time of the discovery of the Higgs Boson that bears his name
The
discovery of the Higgs Boson, the Elementary Particle that accounts for Matter
i.e. Atoms, molecules, having Mass was the toast of the scientific community on
Wednesday July 4th 2012 as stated in “Higgs boson-like
Particle discovery claimed at LHC”, published 4 July
2012 Last updated at 07:35 GMT By Paul Rincon, Science editor, BBC News.
This
is a very big achievement in the Particle Physics World made after forty five
(45) years of Research from the European Organization for Nuclear Research
(CERN), Scientists who in the process co-developed the Internet along with DARPA
(Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) to
aid collaborative communicating their Data over long distances.
It
also confirms the work of Dr. Peter Higgs from 1964 and his idea of a Field
that adds Mass to Elementary Particles depending on much or how little this Field
interacted with these Elementary Particles. It explains why some Elementary
Particles had Mass and some were Massless, thereby completing the then accepted
Standard Model.
Its
subsequent confirmation via two (2) rounds of Peer review and publication of 2
papers in Physics Letter B as stated in the article “Higgs
Boson Discovery Has Been Confirmed”, published 9/12/2012
@ 12:48AM by Alex Knapp, Forbes
sealed the discovery as being legit, albeit more peer review will be taking
place in 2013 to further validate the Data.
The
discovery was made by the CERN, home of the LHC (Large Hadron Super Collider),
the biggest Particle Accelerator located on the edge of the border between
Geneva, Switzerland and France. It accelerates Protons, the basic building
blocks of the Universe at the Atomic level at incredibly high speeds in a
circular track that’s located several miles below the Surface.
The
twin counter-rotating beams of Protons are guided around the track that is a
perfect Vacuum, simulating conditions in Outer Space by very powerful
superconducting Magnets. These very high speed Protons are then smashed into
each other at a specific point in the accelerator that has sensors to detect its
remnant fragments.
In
much the same way crushing rocks helps to break it into smaller components that
can be analyzed by a geologist or an assayist to determine its chemical makeup
under the microscope, Scientists at CERN can study the terabytes of Data on the
Particle fragments to determine what makes up Protons and in turn sub-atomic
particles. The more powerful the Accelerator, the finer the fragments they can
produce by smashing Protons into each other and thus gain finer details into
the Elementary Particles that constitute Matter.
So
what’s the Higgs Boson and what the significance of its discovery to the
Layman?
According
to Professor of Physics and Astronomy Dr. Steven Weinberg of the University of
Texas at Austin in the article “Why
the Higgs Boson Matters”, published July 13, 2012 By
STEVEN WEINBERG, The
NY Times, the Higgs Boson is the missing Scalar Field that
gives Elementary Particle their Masses.
This
Particle fills the gap left in the Standard Model, the mutually accepted
Theory-of-Everything that uses Quantum Theory and other Theories in Elementary
Particle Physics to basically break down all Matter into four (4) Forces:
1.
The Strong Force – this binds the
Elementary Particle that create the nuclei of Atoms and all Matter
2.
The Weak Force – this causes radioactive
decay in in the Nuclei of Atoms and all Matter
3.
Electromagnetic Force – combined, this
accounts for Electromagnetic Radiation and its observable properties
4.
Gravity – This Force acts over large
distance and is basically the observable force of attraction between Matter at
the Macroscopic level
Using
De Broglie’s concept of Particle-Wave Duality, these Forces exist both as wave
fields and Particles and all of them have been detected by the CERN Scientists.
As such, Elementary Particles exist in the Standard Model to represent Force
Carriers, called Bosons:
1.
The Strong Force is represented by the Z
Boson (Z)
2.
The Weak Force is represented by the W
Boson (W)
3.
Electromagnetic Force is represented by
the Photon (g)
4.
Gravity is represented by the Gluon (g)
This
leaves the Elementary Particles that are not Force Carriers, called the
Fermions that exists as two (2) separate Groups:
1.
Quarks, which are distinguished by their
Spin in the various 3D axes. They constitute Protons and Neutrons in Atoms
2.
Leptons, which come as either charged or
uncharged Elementary Particles. They constitute Electrons and their uncharged
cousins
The
Diagram below best illustrates the Standard Model and the names given to the
Bosons and the Fermions, namely the Quarks and Leptons:
As
can be readily seen, the Higgs Boson, which accounts for Mass, is separate and
apart from the rest of the Standard Model, as its inclusion adds Mass to these
Elementary Particles.
Another
concept that exists in Elementary Particle Physics, called Symmetry, pretty
much allows one type of Force or Particle to act in the stead of another Field
in the Physicists equations with no noticeable difference. This as
mathematically speaking, Elementary Particles have no Masses, making it easy to
substitute them for each other in equations e.g. any equation involving Photons
can be replaced by suitable combinations of W Boson and Z Boson Particles.
Simple
enough so far? Keep a bottle of Paracetamol handy, as it goes downhill from
here.
Reality
sets in as it gets worse; this ideal theoretical world build up by Scientists
is far from reality as the Elementary Particles have Masses, albeit very small.
Masses so small that they’re expressed in a unit of measure known as the eV
(Electron Volt), which is the e.m.f. (Electromotive force) or Voltage Potential
of the electron.
That
Energy can be used to represent Mass should be obvious to Physics students, as
Albert Einstein’s now famous equation E=mc2 indicates Energy is just
another form of Mass, effectively an analogous expression De Broglie’s
Particle-Wave Duality! It’s also easier to represent Mass of Elementary
Particles in eV’s as their Mass is so small, that it’s more conveniently
expressed in this unit of measure.
This
unexplained Mass of otherwise Massless Elementary Particles renders Symmetry
equations useless e.g. W and Z Boson Particles are almost 100 times a Hydrogen
Atom’s Mass, which are just a Proton and a Neutron. This quirky phenomenon is
referred to as Symmetry Breaking.
The
independent work of Scientists Dr. Steven Weinberg and Dr. Abdus Salam via
their Electro-Weak (Electromagnetism and the Weak Force) Theory (1967-1968)
provided more evidence of this Symmetry Breaking being caused by what are
termed Scalar Fields and indicated the Masses of the W and Z Bosons. Since
these Scalar Fields are predicted to have Mass, the CERN Scientists have found
out the Masses of some of these Particles that represent these basics Forces
that rule the Universe.
Their
Electro-Weak Theory concept on Scalar Fields as predicted the existence of a
Massive, unstable zero spin Elementary Particle that gave Mass to the
Elementary Particles; this of course was the much sought after Higgs Boson,
whose properties the Electro-Weak Theory predicted. The Electro-Weak Theory,
however, did not predict the Mass of the Higgs Boson which the CERN Scientists
were able to measure upon its discovery as having a Mass of 125.3 GeV.
The
fact that the Higgs Boson detected by the CERN is so massive, about 133 times
bigger than the very Protons that make up the nuclei of Atoms, suggests its
decay path will consist of many possible modes. The probability that the Particle
they’ve discovered may not be the Higgs Boson is very real and will
require months of sifting through Data to be absolutely certain.
Thus,
based on CERN’s Data and exhaustive peer review as mentioned above, if this new
unstable Elementary Particle has zero spin and decays in the exact
manner atypical of the Higgs Boson predicted by the Electro-Weak Theory, then
the CERN discovery is legit to Five Sigma (∑) level in terms of Standard
Deviation.
This
level of Certainty is expressed by Particle Physicists as the Sigma (∑) level
is really a Mathematical concept familiar to Statisticians as the Standard
Deviation of a Probability. This dictates the likelihood of an event e.g.
flipping a coin and getting heads or lightning striking the same spot as being
purely random i.e. 1 Sigma (∑).
If
such events are seen to occur multiple times in succession, e.g. flipping a
coin 21 times and getting heads every time or lightning striking the same spot
100 times, then the event is no longer random and can be considered purposeful
and certain i.e. 5 Sigma (∑). At this level of certainty, CERN Scientists can
declare that here is a 1 in 3.5 million Chance that the particle they’ve
discovered is not the Higgs Boson.
This is the degree of certainty with which the CERN Scientists had made the
preliminary declaration on Wednesday July 4th 2012 that they’d found
the elusive Elementary Particle that had evaded them for 45 years.
This
work of analyzing the mountains of Data coming out of the LHC requires more
than just Super Computing muscle and had been breathtakingly fast according to
Dr. Steve Myers, Director for Accelerators and Technology based on the article
“Physicist
Steve Myers lauds speed of Higgs boson progress”,
published 31 December 2012 Last updated at 13:53 GMT, BBC News.
It also requires testing out known theories about what we perceive as Matter,
as the observed Universe appears to have Hidden Mass. This Hidden Mass or Dark Matter
is thought to constitute at least 97% of the known Universe, with the remaining
3% being mainly Atoms that make up Mass we can see.
Of
course, John Public, looking at all of this use of Accelerators to smash
Protons to determine their Elementary Particles may be tempted to say, “if
Atoms are made of these Elementary Particles, what are these Elementary
Particles themselves made of?”.
This
discovery of the Higgs Boson is only just the beginning; the LHC is already
ramping up with an upgrade to power the Accelerator to even higher energies in
a bid to smash the Protons into even smaller Elementary Particles in a bid to
find out what these Elementary Particles themselves are made of. Hopefully, in
the process, they don’t end up creating any Singularities (Black Holes), even
at the atomic level, as that might not be good for Earth and its Inhabitants!
If
confirmed, the Elementary Particles would have gotten their Mass from the Higgs
Boson, as per the Standard Model. So John Public looks upon all this, frowns
and asks, “Does all this research into Elementary Particles have any practical
applications?”. So far, the equiptment and Research needed to build the LHC and
manipulating the gigabytes of Data Generated has resulted in the development of
technology behind the Superconducting Ceramic Magnets and also developed the
Internet for collaborative work as we know it, which had begun as the Arpanet
Project by DARPA.
Thus
the low-key Research by the CERN can be compared to a less-hyped version of
NASA (National Aeronautical Space Administration) and the Moon Missions of even
to World War II; it fast-tracked the development of Technologies via doing
Research into Field seeking Technology that was needed at the time and found
practical Application via licensing the Technology later on during times of
Peace.
This
is where imagination comes into play. Since the Higgs Boson is responsible for
Adding Mass to the Elementary Particles, then via manipulating it using
Electrical and Magnetic Fields, the Higgs Boson has several surprising
practical Applications:
Anti-Gravity
The
Higgs Boson adds Mass. Remove or Suppress the Higgs Boson, and the object
becomes partially or completely massless. Such and object would no longer be
subject to accelerating forces due to Gravity and thus could fly without the
need for Jet engines to liberate itself from Gravity’s pull. Aside from being a
new form of propulsion for everything from flying Buses, flying motorcycles to
flying Cars, Jetsons Style, it may also find usefulness as a protection system
e.g. Crash Prevention in Flying Aircraft and even preventing smartphones and
Tablets from breaking whenever they fall.
This
is an expansion on the original research work as postulated by the patent by
CEO Jeff Bezos as described in my blog
articles entitled “Amazon
patents Fall Prevention Technology for smartphones and Tablets - The Research
begins with Amazon’s patent that’s Hyde Park on Hudson (2013)”
Light
Speed Travel
Einstein’s
Special Relativity Theory points out that faster than Light Travel isn’t
possible as approaching those speeds, an objects density increases i.e. its
Mass increases and its longest dimension, its length, decreases. This makes
maintaining Acceleration Force difficult as F=Ma, where M is Mass is always
increasing. Making a spacecraft Massless would allow it to travel at the Speed
of Light.
Once
such Engines could be developed to push Spacecraft at the Speed of Light, the
potential for Exploration and Colonization of our Solar System and our Galaxy
as explained in my blog
articles entitled “Alternative
Energy and the Ion Drive Engine - Star Trek and Andromeda”
and the article “Alternative
Energy and Daedelus - Avatar and Planet Gliese 581g Next Door”
would become a regular affair.
Anti-Matter
Converter
The
removal of the Higgs Boson altogether from the Atomic Structure may result in
an easier method of making Anti-Matter. Ironically the Higgs Boson is its own Anti-Particle
since it adds Mass to Elementary Particles (get it?).
Anti-Matter
is the mirror image opposite of Matter as described in the Standard Model.
Anti-Matter is the Holy Grail of Particle Physics as developing a Generator, he
so called AMC (Anti-Matter Converter) much spoken of in Star Trek shows and
movies to produce Anti-Matter on Demand would make Space Travel very convenient
as quaintly suggested in the article “How
the Higgs Could Become Annoying”, published Fri Jul 6,
2012 12:00 PM ET by Sharon Klotz, Discovery
News.
Just
collect any material you come across while traveling through space and throw it
into the AMC (Anti-Matter Converter) to produce Gamma Radiation, the main
Energy form that’s produced via the annihilation of Matter by Anti-Matter. This
Gamma Radiation can then be used to power a Nuclear Fusion Impulse Rocket as
described in my blog
article entitled “University
of Alabama, NASA, Boeing and Oak Ridge National Laboratory developing Nuclear
Fusion Impulse Rocket - Ross Cortez's Dilithium Crystals leads Star Trek Into
The Darkness”
Quantum
Teleportation
As
the Higgs Boson consists almost 96% of the Mass of the Known Universe, it may
be assumed that ordinary objects also have a similar constituency as it relates
to Dark Energy and Elementary Particles at the Sub-Atomic Level and Atoms and
Molecules at the Atomic and Macroscopic Level. This so-called Dark Energy’s
removal, if possible from Elementary Particles without the Atoms losing their
cohesion, would mean that Quantum Teleportation could be done more easily as
described in my blog
article entitled “Scientists
demonstrate Quantum Teleportation over 90 miles on Canary Islands - Telecom
Providers become Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as FLORA Networks are feasible”.
Instead
of destroying the object and the Transmitting Pad and reducing it to a massive
stream of Super High Speed Data on the Quantum Mechanical State of the Object
Elementary Particles at a particular Instant in Time to be reassembled at a
Receiving Pad, you could instead first remove its Mass. Then the Transmitting
Pad would only have to scan the remaining 4% of the object’s Mass consisting of
Elementary Particles, making the as-yet-to-be-full-developed Quantum
Teleportation more Energy Efficient in the future.
Time
Travel
If
Light Speed, Quantum Teleportation and Anti-Matter are possible, then Time
Travel may not be too far behind. This as a massless object can more easily
travel through a so-called naturally occurring Einstein-Rosenberg Bridges or
Wormhole, many of which may connect different point in Space or Time.
First,
send through an autonomous AI (Artificially Intelligent) Ship through the
Wormhole at the Speed of Light to the other side of the Wormhole to set up the
Receiving Pad for Quantum Teleportation Purposes. Then Teleport objects through
to be received by the Receiving Pad to Test Transmission through a Wormhole
before regular Traffic can begin.
People
would follow next, provided they’re given Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) or
Psilocybin to relax their minds to withstand the stresses of Impulse Travel and
then Quantum Teleportation as theorized in my blog
article entitled “Future
Ultra-Wideband enables Quantum Teleportation - THC, Salvia and Psilocybin Ben
10 Alien Force”.
Nuclear
Fusion and Arc Reactors
The
development of Nuclear Fusion, which involves the fusion of Smaller Nuclei
under extreme Pressure, Temperature and Super Conducting Magnet Containment
System to contain the Deuterium Atoms being fused to Plasma to produce
Self-sustaining Energy in a Process akin to the Sun, would get a huge boost.
This as the Energy Source usually used to achieve the conditions in a Nuclear
Fusion Chamber have to mimic temperatures within the core of the Sun involve
the use of a Nuclear Fission Reactor as the Primary Energy Source, much as is
the case in a Nuclear Fission Fusion Bomb.
It’s
used to power the very strong Lasers used to fuse the Nuclei of Deuterium
Atoms, which are essentially High Energy accelerated Photons and maintain the
Super Conducting Magnet Containment System that’s used to keep the Gas Plasma
from leaking into the Environment. This technology is borrowed from Research
that went into the design of the LHC. The development of an AMC would allow for
the use of Gamma Radiation in the Lasers as well as more than enough power to
maintain the Super Conducting Magnet Containment System to squeeze the Plasma
and thus maintain conditions for ignition in the Nuclear Fusion Chamber.
Once
this is achieved, the Energy from the Nuclear Fusion Chamber can then be
converted to usable Energy such as Electricity in a self-sustaining manner
without need for more Energy, again like the Sun or even an Arc Reactor, Iron
Man Style. This is the dream of Nuclear Fusion and the Hydrogen-Electron
Economy it heralds, as Deuterium is plentiful in the Sea.
Conclusion:
Higgs Boson is the Beginning
As
mentioned in the sub-heading, we are but on the threshold of a Great Adventure.
Research no doubt will continue on at CERN well into 2013. This as the LHC’s
being upgraded to operate at even higher Energies as stated in “Atom
smasher hiatus sets stage for more discovery”, published January 4th 2012
By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press for smashing Protons into even Smaller
Elementary Particle Fragments to see what they’re made of, fears of
Singularities and Nuclear Explosions aside. The current discovery of the Higgs
Boson, if confirmed, means Nobel Prizes for Physics for the CERN Scientists
involved.
But
it’s the practical spinoff from subsequent research the CERN our modern Day
Manhattan Project and its manipulation via Electric and Magnetic Fields that
has me excited and Lay
the Favourite (2012) for:
1.
Anti-Gravity
2.
Light Speed Travel
3.
Anti-Matter Converter
4.
Quantum Teleportation
5.
Time Travel
6.
Nuclear Fusion and Arc Reactors
Thus
I await with baited breath further publications in Science Journals confirming
that the CERN’s Research Data proves beyond a shadow of a Doubt that the Higgs
Boson has been “Discovered”.
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