The Higgs Field, explained - Don Lincoln

希格斯场 - Don Lincoln

翻译人员: Dervish Wang 校对人员: Xuwen Zhu

Without a doubt,

毫无疑问

the most exciting scientific observation of 2012

2012年最激动人心的科学发现

was the discovery of a new particle

是在CERN（欧洲核子研究中心）实验发现的

at the CERN laboratory

一种新的粒子。

that could be the Higgs boson,

这种粒子被大家认为极有可能是“希格斯玻色子”，

a particle named after physicist Peter Higgs.

它以物理学家彼得•希格斯命名。

The Higgs Field is thought to give mass

物理学家认为希格斯场

to fundamental, subatomic particles

给基本的亚原子性的粒子带来质量，

like the quarks

包括夸克、

and leptons

轻子

that make up ordinary matter.

这些构成日常事物的基本粒子。

The Higgs bosons are wiggles in the field,

希格斯玻色子是希格斯场中的振动，

like the bump you see

就像当你猛拉绳子时

when you twitch a rope.

绳子产生的晃动。

But how does this field give mass to particles?

但这个场是如何赋予粒子质量的呢?

If this sounds confusing to you,

如果这让你很困惑

you're not alone.

其他人也一样。

In 1993, the British Science Minister

1993年，英国科技大臣

challenged physicists to invent a simple way

要求物理学家们找出一个简单的方法

to understand all this Higgs stuff.

来解释这一切与希格斯相关的结果。

The prize was a bottle of quality champagne.

给出的奖励是一瓶高品质香槟。

The winning explanation went something like this:

获奖的解释大致是这样的

Suppose there's a large cocktail party

假想一个

at the CERN laboratory

在CERN实验室举行的酒会，

filled with particle physics researchers.

出席的人都是粒子物理学家。

This crowd of physicists represents the Higgs field.

这些物理学家代表了希格斯场。

If a tax collector entered the party,

此时，一个收税员进入了聚会，

nobody would want to talk to them,

显然从来没人愿意和征税的人谈话，

and they could very easily cross the room

于是他们很轻松的穿过人群

to get to the bar.

来到了吧台

The tax collector wouldn't interact with the crowd

征税者不会和物理学家们有互动，

in much the same way

同样

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

有一些粒子也不会和希格斯场有相互作用。

The particles that don't interact,

这些不受影响的粒子

like photons for example,

比如光子，

are called massless.

被称为零质量粒子。

Now, suppose that Peter Higgs entered the same room,

现在，假设彼得•希格斯进入了这个房间，

perhaps in search of a pint.

也许是为了喝一杯。

In this case, the physicists

这种情况下

will immediately crowd around Higgs

物理学家们立即会聚到希格斯教授周围

to discuss with him

同他讨论交流那些

their efforts to measure the properties

他们为了测量希格斯粒子的属性

of his namesake boson.

所做的工作。

Because he interacts strongly with the crowd,

由于希格斯教授和人群密切的互动，

Higgs will move slowly across the room.

他在房间里会走得很慢。

Continuing our analogy,

和前面的类比相似，

Higgs has become a massive particle

希格斯在与场的相互作用下

through his interactions with the field.

成为了一个有质量的粒子。

So, if that's the Higgs field,

那么，如果那就是希格斯场的解释，

how does the Higgs boson fit into all of this?

希格斯玻色子又是怎么一回事呢？

Let's pretend our crowd of party goers

现在假定聚会者

is uniformly spread across the room.

均匀分布在房间各处。

Now suppose someone pops their head in the door

现在假设有一个人在门口探头进来，

to report a rumor of a discovery

说了一个传言，

at some distant, rival laboratory.

这个传言有关某个遥远的对手实验室的发现。

People near the door will hear the rumor,

靠近门的人会听见，

but people far away won't,

但离门稍远的就听不见了。

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

于是这些离门稍远的人就会向门口靠近，以便询问那些听到的人。

This will create a clump in the crowd.

这会挤出一个密度大的人群。

As people have heard the rumor,

当这些人听了传闻后

they will return to their original positions

他们会回来原来的位置

to discuss its implications,

来讨论这传闻的意义，

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

但更远的人这时会来问“发生了什么”，

The result will be a clump in the crowd

这样又会形成一个密度很大的人群

that moves across the room.

来穿过房间。

This clump is analogous to the Higgs boson.

这一堆人形成的波动，与希格斯玻色子是相似的。

It is important to remember

需要记住的是，

that it is not that massive particles

并不是有质量的粒子

interact more with the Higgs field.

会与希格斯场有更多互相作用。

In our analogy of the party,

在聚会的类比中，

all particles are equal until they enter the room.

所有粒子在进入房间之前毫无差别。

Both Peter Higgs and the tax collector have zero mass.

彼得•希格斯教授与征税者都是零质量。

It is the interaction with the crowd

是他们与人群的相互作用

that causes them to gain mass.

导致他们获得质量（或者保持质量为零）。

I'll say that again.

再说一次，

Mass comes from interactions with a field.

质量来自与场的相互作用。

So, let's recap.

概括一下，

A particle gets more or less mass

一个粒子获得多少质量

depending on how it interacts with a field,

取决于它和场如何相互作用，

just like different people will move through the crowd

就像不同人的穿过人群，

at different speeds depending on their popularity.

行走的速度与他们（在人群中的）人气有关。

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

希格斯玻色子是场中的一个波动，

like a rumor crossing the room.

就像穿过房间的传闻。

Of course, this analogy is just that --

当然，这个类比仅仅

an analogy,

是个类比，

but it's the best analogy

不过这是目前

anyone has come up with so far.

我们能想到的最好的类比了。

So, that's it.

这就是

That's what the Higgs Field

希格斯场

and the Higgs boson is all about.

和希格斯玻色子。

Continuing research will tell us if we found it,

人们正在研究我们是否真的找到了这个粒子，

and the reward will probably be more

如果我们真找到了，

than just a bottle of champagne.

奖品就不仅仅会是一瓶香槟了。