🌌 God Particle: The Key to the Formation of the Universe
Research and Compilation:
Shariq Ali
Valueversity
Imagine a universe where weightless particles are zipping around at the speed of light. There are no atoms yet, no stars, no planets — not even you or me. This scene is from just after the Big Bang.
But what happened that allowed physical matter to come into existence? Stars, planets, you and I — how did all of this become possible?
The answer lies in the “God Particle” — the Higgs Boson.
🧩 What is the Higgs Boson?
It is a special particle associated with a theoretical field known as the Higgs Field.
This field is spread throughout the universe. Think of it as an invisible layer of honey in the air, through which particles move. When a particle passes through this field, it gains weight or mass.
Without this field, all particles would remain weightless, making the formation of physical matter impossible. There would be no stars, no planets, and no life.
🧠 When did this theory emerge?
In 1964, scientist Peter Higgs and his colleagues proposed this field and particle as a theory. Their aim was to explain how particles acquire mass.
This theory later became part of the Standard Model, which explains the fundamental forces and particles of the universe.
🔬 Dr. Abdus Salam’s Contribution
Pakistan’s renowned scientist Dr. Abdus Salam played a key role in strengthening the foundation of this theory.
In the 1960s, he collaborated with American scientists Steven Weinberg and Sheldon Glashow to present the Electroweak Theory, which unified the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces.
His research played a foundational role in bringing the Higgs theory to prominence in the scientific world.
🚀 The Journey of Discovery: 48 Years of Effort
Discovering this particle wasn’t easy. The world’s largest laboratory, CERN, built the Large Hadron Collider for this purpose. Protons were accelerated close to the speed of light and then collided.
Finally, on July 4, 2012, scientists announced the discovery of a particle that perfectly matched the theoretical Higgs Boson.
It was a historic moment — and a matter of pride for the Pakistani nation due to Dr. Abdus Salam’s contributions.
🌟 Importance of This Discovery
This discovery proved how particles acquire mass, and thus why the universe exists the way it does.
It was not only a monumental scientific achievement, but it also opened new doors to explore the depths of the cosmos.