The Higgs Boson

The Higgs boson or Higgs particle is an elementary particle in the Standard Model of particle physics. It is the quantum excitation of the Higgs field which is a fundamental field of crucial importance to particle physics theory. The Higgs Boson was first suspected to exist in the 1960s and unlike other known fields such as the electromagnetic field, takes a non-zero constant value almost everywhere. The question of the Higgs field's existence has been the last unverified part of the Standard Model of particle physics and, according to some, "the central problem in particle physics". The presence of this field, now believed to be confirmed, explains why some fundamental particles have mass when, based on the symmetries controlling their interactions, they should be without mass. The existence of the Higgs field would also resolve several other long-standing puzzles, such as the reason for the weak force's extremely short range. This book is an overview of the background and legacy of The Higgs Boson and is designed to be a state of the art, superb academic reference work and provide an overview of the topic and give the reader a structured knowledge to familiarize yourself with the topic at the most affordable price possible. The accuracy and knowledge is of an international viewpoint as the edited articles represent the inputs of many knowledgeable individuals and some of the most current knowledge on the topic, based on the date of publication.