Higgs, Englert get Physics Nobel for God particle research

 In this July 4, 2012 photo Belgian physicist Francois Englert (left) and British physicist Peter Higgs, answer journalist's questions at the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Meyrin near Geneva. The duo were awarded the Nobel physics prize on Tuesday.

Peter Higgs of Britain and Francois Englert of Belgium have shared the 2013 Nobel Physics Prize for “the theoretical discovery of the origin of mass of subatomic particles,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences says.

It added that the so-called boson theory was a central part of the Standard Model of particle physics that describes how the universe is constructed.

The theory was “recently confirmed through the discovery of the predicted fundamental particle” by two teams working at the nuclear research organisation, CERN, in Switzerland.

The Higgs boson

The Higgs boson is a particle that explains the existence of mass and holds the key to understanding the universe.

Nicknamed the God particle, the Higgs boson was the missing piece in the Standard Model of physics, which describes how atoms interact but could not explain why they have mass.

The boson was part of a theory developed by Mr. Higgs and Mr. Englert in the 1960s.

Experiments at CERN have shown that the boson is likely to actually exist.

There are two groups of subatomic particles: The fermions, which make up matter, and the bosons, which carry forces.

Much like splashing waves make us notice the ocean, Higgs bosons are the sign that there is a so-called Higgs field.

When a particle passes through this field, it interacts and acquires mass.

CERN chief Rolf Heuer has compared the Higgs field to a room full of journalists. When a celebrity walks through the room, he will soon find himself surrounded by reporters, who will slow down his steps.

The reporters would also interact with each other in clusters, similar to the way in which Higgs bosons form, he said.

Physicists are not yet sure whether what they have found is the Higgs boson. If it is, their discovery would validate the standard model.

If the newly discovered boson is slightly different from that originally conceived by Higgs, this could help solve questions that cannot be answered with the Standard Model.

For example, it could help explain dark matter, a form of invisible matter that is believed to make up the most of the universe.

Keywords: Peter Higgs, Francois Englert, 2013 Physics Nobel, God particle, Higgs boson, CERN