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Physics Encyclopedia Entry 1779983524

** The **Higgs Boson**, a fundamental particle predicted by the **Standard Model of Particle Physics**, was discovered in 2012 at the **Large Hadron Collider (LHC)**, providing conclusive evidence for the **Higgs Mechanism** and the origin of particle masses. ## Overview The **Higgs Boson** is an elementary particle predicted by **Peter Higgs** and others in the 1960s as part of the **Standard Model of Particle Physics**. This particle is responsible for giving other particles mass through the **Higgs Mechanism**. The discovery of the **Higgs Boson** was a major milestone in particle physics, confirming a key aspect of the **Standard Model** and opening new avenues for research into the fundamental nature of matter and energy. The **Higgs Boson** is a scalar boson, a type of particle that carries a fundamental force of nature. It is the quanta of the **Higgs Field**, a field that permeates all of space and time. The **Higgs Field** is responsible for giving mass to fundamental particles, such as quarks and leptons, by interacting with them. The **Higgs Boson** is the particle associated with the **Higgs Field**, and its discovery provided conclusive evidence for the **Higgs Mechanism**. ## History/Background The **Higgs Boson** was first proposed by **Peter Higgs** and others in the 1960s as a way to explain how fundamental particles acquire mass. The **Standard Model of Particle Physics** was developed in the 1970s, and it predicted the existence of the **Higgs Boson**. However, the **Higgs Boson** was not directly detectable, and its existence was only inferred through indirect means. The **Large Hadron Collider (LHC)**, a powerful particle accelerator located at **CERN** in Switzerland, was designed to detect the **Higgs Boson**. The **LHC** collided protons at incredibly high energies, creating a vast array of subatomic particles. By analyzing the decay patterns of these particles, physicists were able to infer the existence of the **Higgs Boson**. ## Key Information The **Higgs Boson** was discovered on July 4, 2012, by the **ATLAS** and **CMS** experiments at the **LHC**. The discovery was announced on July 4, 2012, and it was confirmed through subsequent experiments. The **Higgs Boson** has a mass of approximately 125 GeV (gigaelectronvolts), which is about 133 times the mass of a proton. The **Higgs Boson** is a scalar boson, which means it has zero spin and no electric charge. It is a fundamental particle, meaning it cannot be broken down into smaller particles. The **Higgs Boson** interacts with other particles through the **Higgs Field**, which is responsible for giving mass to fundamental particles. ## Significance The discovery of the **Higgs Boson** confirmed a key aspect of the **Standard Model of Particle Physics** and provided conclusive evidence for the **Higgs Mechanism**. The **Higgs Boson** is a fundamental particle that plays a crucial role in our understanding of the universe. Its discovery has opened new avenues for research into the fundamental nature of matter and energy. The **Higgs Boson** has also led to a deeper understanding of the **Standard Model** and the **Higgs Mechanism**. The discovery of the **Higgs Boson** has confirmed that the **Standard Model** is a robust and well-established theory of particle physics. The **Higgs Boson** has also led to new areas of research, including the study of the **Higgs Field** and its interactions with other particles. INFOBOX: - **Name:** Higgs Boson - **Type:** Elementary particle - **Date:** July 4, 2012 - **Location:** Large Hadron Collider (LHC), CERN, Switzerland - **Known For:** Discovery of the Higgs Boson and confirmation of the Higgs Mechanism TAGS: **Higgs Boson**, **Standard Model of Particle Physics**, **Higgs Mechanism**, **Large Hadron Collider (LHC)**, **CERN**, **Particle Physics**, **Fundamental Particles**, **Scalar Boson**, **Elementary Particle**