The Higgs Field, explained - Don Lincoln

Prevoditelj: Katarina Mikjel Recezent: Sanda L

Without a doubt,

Nesumnjivo je

the most exciting scientific observation of 2012

najuzbudljivije znanstveno zapažanje 2012.

was the discovery of a new particle

bilo otkriće nove čestice

at the CERN laboratory

u CERN-ovu laboratoriju

that could be the Higgs boson,

koja bi mogla biti Higgsov bozon,

a particle named after physicist Peter Higgs.

čestica nazvana po fizičaru Peteru Higgsu.

The Higgs Field is thought to give mass

Smatra se da Higgsovo polje

to fundamental, subatomic particles

daje masu osnovnim, subatomskim česticama,

like the quarks

poput kvarkova

and leptons

i leptona,

that make up ordinary matter.

koji tvore običnu materiju.

The Higgs bosons are wiggles in the field,

Higgsovi bozoni su valovi u polju,

like the bump you see

kao izbočina

when you twitch a rope.

koju vidite kad protresete uže.

But how does this field give mass to particles?

No, kako to polje česticama daje masu?

If this sounds confusing to you,

Ako vas sve to zbunjuje,

you're not alone.

niste jedini.

In 1993, the British Science Minister

1993. godine, britanski ministar znanosti

challenged physicists to invent a simple way

izazvao je fizičare da osmisle jednostavan način

to understand all this Higgs stuff.

kako bi se shvatile sve te Higgsove pojave.

The prize was a bottle of quality champagne.

Nagrada je bila boca vrhunskog šampanjca.

The winning explanation went something like this:

Pobjedničko objašnjenje glasilo je otprilike ovako:

Suppose there's a large cocktail party

zamislite veliku zabavu

at the CERN laboratory

u CERN-ovu laboratoriju,

filled with particle physics researchers.

gdje je mnogo istraživača fizike čestica.

This crowd of physicists represents the Higgs field.

Ta gomila fizičara predstavlja Higgsovo polje.

If a tax collector entered the party,

Da se na zabavi pojavi poreznik,

nobody would want to talk to them,

nitko ne bi htio pričati s njim

and they could very easily cross the room

pa bi on s lakoćom prošao prostorijom

to get to the bar.

i stigao do bara.

The tax collector wouldn't interact with the crowd

Poreznik ne bi bio u interakciji s gomilom,

in much the same way

kao što ni

that some particles don't interact with the Higgs field.

neke čestice nisu u interakciji s Higgsovim poljem.

The particles that don't interact,

Čestice koje nisu u interakciji,

like photons for example,

primjerice fotoni,

are called massless.

nazivaju se česticama bez mase.

Now, suppose that Peter Higgs entered the same room,

Sad zamislite da Peter Higgs uđe u istu prostoriju,

perhaps in search of a pint.

možda u potrazi za čašom pića.

In this case, the physicists

U tom bi slučaju fizičari

will immediately crowd around Higgs

smjesta okružili Higgsa

to discuss with him

kako bi s njim popričali

their efforts to measure the properties

o svojim pokušajima mjerenja svojstava

of his namesake boson.

bozona koji nosi njegovo ime.

Because he interacts strongly with the crowd,

Zbog intenzivne interakcije s gomilom,

Higgs will move slowly across the room.

Higgs će se prostorijom kretati sporo.

Continuing our analogy,

U našoj usporedbi

Higgs has become a massive particle

Higgs postaje masivna čestica

through his interactions with the field.

zbog svoje interakcije s poljem.

So, if that's the Higgs field,

Ako je to, dakle, Higgsovo polje,

how does the Higgs boson fit into all of this?

kako se u priču uklapa Higgsov bozon?

Let's pretend our crowd of party goers

Zamislimo da su gosti na zabavi

is uniformly spread across the room.

ravnomjerno raspoređeni po prostoriji.

Now suppose someone pops their head in the door

Sad zamislimo da netko na vratima proviri glavom

to report a rumor of a discovery

i prenese glasinu o otkriću

at some distant, rival laboratory.

u nekom dalekom, suparničkom laboratoriju.

People near the door will hear the rumor,

Ljudi pored vrata čut će glasinu,

but people far away won't,

no, oni udaljeni neće

so they'll move closer to the door to ask.

pa će se primaknuti vratima i raspitati.

This will create a clump in the crowd.

To će stvoriti nakupinu u gomili.

As people have heard the rumor,

Kad ljudi čuju glasinu,

they will return to their original positions

vratit će se na početna mjesta

to discuss its implications,

da rasprave o njezinu značenju,

but people further away will then ask what's going on.

ali zatim će se oni još udaljeniji raspitivati što se događa.

The result will be a clump in the crowd

To će rezultirati kretanjem grupe ljudi

that moves across the room.

po čitavoj prostoriji.

This clump is analogous to the Higgs boson.

Ta je skupina usporediva s Higgsovim bozonom.

It is important to remember

Važno je zapamtiti

that it is not that massive particles

da masivne čestice nemaju nužno

interact more with the Higgs field.

veću interakciju s Higgsovim poljem.

In our analogy of the party,

Povučemo li paralelu sa zabavom,

all particles are equal until they enter the room.

sve su čestice jednake dok ne uđu u prostoriju.

Both Peter Higgs and the tax collector have zero mass.

Ni Peter Higgs ni poreznik nemaju masu.

It is the interaction with the crowd

Interakcijom s gomilom

that causes them to gain mass.

oni dobivaju masu.

I'll say that again.

Ponovit ću:

Mass comes from interactions with a field.

masa proizlazi iz interakcije s poljem.

So, let's recap.

Ukratko,

A particle gets more or less mass

čestica dobiva veću ili manju masu

depending on how it interacts with a field,

ovisno o svojoj interakciji s poljem,

just like different people will move through the crowd

baš kao što se različiti ljudi kreću gomilom

at different speeds depending on their popularity.

različitom brzinom ovisno o svojoj popularnosti.

And the Higgs boson is just a clump in the field,

Higgsov bozon samo je nakupina u polju,

like a rumor crossing the room.

kao glasina koja se širi prostorijom.

Of course, this analogy is just that --

Naravno, to je samo

an analogy,

usporedba,

but it's the best analogy

ali najbolja

anyone has come up with so far.

koju je itko dosad smislio.

So, that's it.

To bi, dakle, bilo to.

That's what the Higgs Field

U tome je bit

and the Higgs boson is all about.

Higgsova polja i Higgsova bozona.

Continuing research will tell us if we found it,

Daljnja će istraživanja pokazati jesmo li ga pronašli,

and the reward will probably be more

a nagrada će vjerojatno biti veća

than just a bottle of champagne.

od obične boce šampanjca.