The interaction between particles and the Higgs field that gives rise to mass is known as the Higgs mechanism. According to the Standard Model of particle physics, the Higgs field permeates all of space. Particles acquire mass by interacting with this field.
The Higgs field is a scalar field, which means it has a value at every point in space. Particles that have mass, such as electrons or quarks, interact with the Higgs field through a process called Yukawa coupling. This interaction involves the exchange of virtual Higgs particles between the particle and the Higgs field.
The Higgs field has a non-zero vacuum expectation value, which means that even in its lowest energy state (the vacuum), it does not have a value of zero. When particles move through the Higgs field, they experience a resistance or drag due to this non-zero value. This drag is analogous to moving through a viscous medium, and it is what gives particles their mass.
Particles that interact more strongly with the Higgs field experience greater drag and therefore have a larger mass. In contrast, particles that interact weakly with the Higgs field have smaller masses. For example, the W and Z bosons, which mediate the weak nuclear force, are relatively massive because they interact strongly with the Higgs field. Photons, on the other hand, do not interact with the Higgs field and remain massless.
The interaction between particles and the Higgs field is mediated by the exchange of virtual Higgs particles. These virtual particles, known as Higgs bosons, are short-lived and cannot be directly observed. However, their effects can be observed indirectly through experiments, such as at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), where the discovery of the Higgs boson was confirmed in 2012.
In summary, the interaction between particles and the Higgs field, mediated by the exchange of virtual Higgs bosons, gives rise to the mass of particles. The Higgs mechanism provides a mechanism by which particles acquire mass and is a fundamental aspect of the Standard Model of particle physics.