The Higgs mechanism is a theoretical framework in particle physics that explains how elementary particles acquire mass. It is an essential component of the Standard Model, which is the prevailing theory describing the fundamental particles and their interactions.
According to the Higgs mechanism, the universe is filled with a field called the Higgs field. The Higgs field is present throughout space and is not directly detectable. Particles interact with this field, much like how objects interact with a medium like water or air. The Higgs field has a non-zero value everywhere, even in empty space.
When particles move through the Higgs field, they experience a resistance or drag due to their interaction with the field. This interaction slows down the particles and gives rise to their mass. It's similar to how an object moving through a medium experiences resistance and loses speed.
The Higgs field is associated with a particle called the Higgs boson. In 2012, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments at CERN announced the discovery of the Higgs boson. Its existence confirmed the existence of the Higgs field.
The Higgs boson is an excitation or vibration of the Higgs field, similar to how a wave is an excitation of a water medium. Its discovery provided experimental evidence supporting the Higgs mechanism.
Different particles interact with the Higgs field to varying degrees, which results in different masses. Particles that interact strongly with the Higgs field, such as the W and Z bosons, acquire a large mass. Particles that interact weakly with the Higgs field, such as photons, remain massless.
In summary, the Higgs mechanism proposes that particles gain mass through their interaction with the Higgs field. The Higgs boson is associated with this field and its discovery confirmed the existence of the Higgs mechanism.