The Higgs and Relativity.

[Hayabusa Rider]

Now that the Higgs is an official entity, I've been wondering. Rest mass is invariant in any particle but in Special Relativity motion causes the increase of mass. Mass increases with velocity but the quality of mass is conveyed by the Higgs.

Does anyone have any information or theories as to how the Higgs field interacts with matter increasing mass (if that's what happens) with the increase of mass at relativistic velocities, and are the Higgs and gravitational fields somehow related? Is it a coincidence that they have an effect on matter or are they somehow related?

 

[Revolution 11]

No one has confirmed that it is the Higgs boson exactly, just that there is a new previously-undescribed particle. What would be more exciting is if this was not the Higgs boson.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

No one has confirmed that it is the Higgs boson exactly, just that there is a new previously-undescribed particle. What would be more exciting is if this was not the Higgs boson.

This is true. I read a better article and the properties have not yet been determined. A genuine unexpected surprise would really shake things up.

Still, the Higgs is a possibility and I'll let the question stand if more from a hypothetical perspective.

 

[ZeroRift]

I could be wrong, but it's my understanding that relativistic mass is the sum of invariant (rest) mass and the kinetic energy of the object represented as mass. Thus objects traveling at speeds close to c don't actually accumulate (or generate) massive particles, rather, objects traveling close to c have so much kinetic energy that their relative mass increases significantly.

To put it differently:

Since mass and energy are equivalent (E=mc^2), objects moving at speeds close to c have more relative mass than objects at rest. However their invariant (rest) masses are unaffected by velocity.

 

[Mark R]

Does anyone have any information or theories as to how the Higgs field interacts with matter increasing mass (if that's what happens) with the increase of mass at relativistic velocities, and are the Higgs and gravitational fields somehow related? Is it a coincidence that they have an effect on matter or are they somehow related?

Most mass is nothing to do with the Higgs mechanism. The Higgs mechanism only accounts for about 1% of normal matter's (hadrons) mass - i.e. the rest mass of elementary particles (such as electrons).

The Higgs mechanism accounts for the bare mass of quarks; the mass of 2 u quarks + 1 d quark, is about 1-2% of the mass of a proton - yet the proton is composed of 2u + 1d. It is the energy of the massless gluons providing the strong force binding the quarks that results in the bulk of the mass of the proton - and this is not related to the Higgs mechanism at all.

Similarly, the mass related to kinetic energy is not related to the Higgs mechanism.

 

[destrekor]

One article made it sound like the physicists are actually leaning toward it NOT being the Higgs Boson itself, but one of a few theorized Higgs-like Bosons that would absolutely shatter current knowledge (and possibly shine a light on other physics models gaining traction).

 

[wuliheron]

If it is the Higgs the fact it only marginally supports super symmetry suggests we are looking at Indeterminacy yet again stubbornly confounding all efforts to learn the secrets of life, the universe, and everything. That might or might not include the secrets of mass and it should be interesting to see what they turn up in the next couple of years.

 

[Paul98]

Now that the Higgs is an official entity, I've been wondering. Rest mass is invariant in any particle but in Special Relativity motion causes the increase of mass. Mass increases with velocity but the quality of mass is conveyed by the Higgs.

Does anyone have any information or theories as to how the Higgs field interacts with matter increasing mass (if that's what happens) with the increase of mass at relativistic velocities, and are the Higgs and gravitational fields somehow related? Is it a coincidence that they have an effect on matter or are they somehow related?

Rest mass doesn't change, and "increasing" mass due to velocity isn't a good way to put things. Just adds confusion, as the rest mass of the object doesn't change, it's just because it takes more energy to accelerate that rest mass due to how velocity works in relativity.