God Particle (Higgs Boson): Implications for Science and Religion/Gurbani

Hardev Singh Virk#360 Sector 71, SAS Nagar {Mohali)

Introduction and Discovery

• The Higgs boson is named after Peter Higgs who, along with two other teams, proposed the Higgs mechanism that suggested such a particle in 1964. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), world's highest-energy particle accelerator, was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) from 1998 to 2008, with the aim of allowing physicists to test the predictions of Standard Model, including Higgs boson. On 4th July 2012, the discovery of Higgs boson at CERN LHC was reported in the world media as the greatest discovery of 21st century!

Why call it God Particle?

• The term God particle was coined by American experimental physicist (Nobel Laureate) Leon M. Lederman in his popular science book on particle physics: The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question? According to Higgs, it wasn't Lederman's choice to call it the god particle: "He wanted to refer to it as that 'goddamn particle' and his editor wouldn't let him." Higgs, an atheist himself, is displeased that the Higgs particle is nicknamed the "God particle", because the term "might offend people who are religious".

How did the idea of tracing the God particle originate?

• The Higgs mechanism, which gives mass to vector bosons, was theorized in August 1964 by François Englert and Robert Brout of France; and by Peter Higgs of UK. Steven Weinberg and Abdus Salam were the first to apply the Higgs mechanism to the electroweak symmetry breaking. The electroweak theory predicts a neutral particle whose mass is not far from that of the W and Z bosons.

Standard Model

• The Standard Model describes the fundamental particles from which we, and every visible thing in the universe, are made, and the forces acting between them. All the matter that we can see, however, appears to be no more than about 4 percent of the total. A more exotic version of the Higgs particle could be a bridge to understanding the 96 percent of the universe that remains obscure, in the form of dark matter and dark energy.

Higgs Boson & Big Bang Cosmology

• The discovery of Higgs boson will help us understand the Big Bang Cosmology. Why did matter dominate over anti-matter, when, in laboratory settings, they are created in equal amounts? The Higgs boson will complete our description of the visible matter in the universe, and of the fundamental processes governing the Big Bang since it was a trillionth of a second old. The Higgs boson may have played a role in generating the matter in the universe, and may be linked to dark matter. It may even provide a clue how the universe inflated to its present size.

Implications of Higgs Boson

• 'It's helping us understand the big universal question, what are we made out of?

• It's a crossroads in science.• It allows physicists to try to go where no scientist has

gone before.• It could lead to unexpected everyday applications.• It helps answer basic questions about how the

universe evolved.• It could change how physics is taught in high school.• It's proof that long, hard work can pay off.

Interactions of Higgs Boson

Aerial view of LHC tunnel in Geneva

Civil Works in the ATLAS cavern (2000)

A module of ALICE Photon Detector with 3584 lead tungstate crystals

Installation of the inner detector in the center of ATLAS, on August 23, 2000

Millions of wires connected to the electromagnetic calorimeter end-cap

How to get around the 27-km tunnel that houses the LHC ?

Installation of the ATLAS pixel detector into the cavern on June 28, 2007

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Eight T-magnets around Calorimeter to measure the energies of particles produced

Magnetic Core of LHC (2007)

LHC uses super-cooled magnets to launch particles at nearly the speed of light around a 27-kilometre long circuit until they collide.

LHC under Construction (2007)

Installation of the Silicon tracking detector in the CMS experiment

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS)

Closure of the LHC beam pipe ring on June 16, 2008

Proton-Proton Collisions at LHC

A typical collision, in yellow, and some of the new particles that result from it, such as photons (in red) from decay of Higgs Boson.

First Steps to Discovery (2011)

CERN shows a CMS proton-proton collision in which four high energy electrons (green lines and red towers) are observed from the decay of a Higgs boson in a 2011 event.

Rolf Hauer, Director CERN

‘As a layman, I think we did it … we have observed a new particle that is consistent with a Higgs boson’, said the Director CERN

Reporting Discovery of Higgs Boson CERN, Geneva (4th July 2012)

Higgs Mechanism• Higgs mechanism is responsible for assigning mass to

the elementary particles in Standard Model. The Higgs field switched on a trillionth of a second after the Big Bang; all of the particles in the cosmos weighed nothing at all; all zipped around chaotically at the speed of light. When the Higgs field switched on, some particles began to feel a "drag" as they moved around; the field gave them mass, making them move around more slowly. This was a crucial moment in the formation of the Universe, because it allowed particles to come together and form all the atoms and molecules around today.

Implications

• Particles of light, or photons, move through the Higgs field as if it wasn't there. Because the field does not cling to them, they remain weightless and destined to move around at the speed of light forever.

• Other particles, like quarks and electrons – the smallest constituents of atoms – get caught in the field and gain mass in the process.

Role of God Particle

• If God particle is not there, the creation process will not advance further and there will be no life in the Universe. Big Bang created lot of energy but material particles are created by the intervention of Higgs field and Higgs boson. According to Einstein’s famous equation, E=mc2, the energy and matter are equivalent and inter-convertible. How can we use this analogy in the field of Sikh religion?

What the Gurbani Says?• God exists in both nirgun (transcendent) and sargun

(immanent) states simultaneously. During pre-creation God is in nirgun state, aka sunnya state, which is devoid of matter but not of energy.

• srgun inrgun inrMkwr suMn smwDI Awip ] Awpn kIAw nwnkw Awpy hI iPir jwip ] The Formless is attributed and un-attributed; And gone into absorption in the cosmic void.Saith

Nanak:He has made the creation, Himself on it meditates. (SGGS, M. 5, P. 290)

•

Concept of SUNN in SUKHMANI

• sloku ] srgun inrgun inrMkwr suMn smwDI Awip ] Awpn kIAw nwnkw Awpy hI iPir jwip ]

• AstpdI ] jb Akwru iehu kCu n idRstyqw ] pwp puMn qb kh qy hoqw ] jb DwrI Awpn suMn smwiD ] qb bYr ibroD iksu sMig kmwiq ] jb ies kw brnu ichnu n jwpq ] qb hrK sog khu iksih ibAwpq ] jb Awpn Awp Awip pwrbRhm ] qb moh khw iksu hovq Brm ] Awpn Kylu Awip vrqIjw ] nwnk krnYhwru n dUjw ]1] {pMnw 290-291}

Concept of SUNN in Rag Maru Solhe• suMn klw AprMpir DwrI ] Awip inrwlmu Apr ApwrI ] Awpy kudriq kir kir dyKY suMnhu suMnu

aupwiedw ] 1 ] • pauxu pwxI suMnY qy swjy ]isRsit aupwie kwieAw gV

rwjy ] Agin pwxI jIau joiq qumwrI suMny klw rhwiedw ] 2 ] • suMnhu bRhmw ibsnu mhysu aupwey ] suMny vrqy

jug sbwey ] iesu pd vIcwry so jnu pUrw iqsu imlIAY Brmu cukwiedw

] 3 ] • suMnhu spq srovr Qwpy ] ijin swjy vIcwry Awpy ] iqqu sq sir mnUAw gurmuiK nwvY iPir bwhuiV join n

pwiedw ] 4 ] • suMnhu cMdu sUrju gYxwry ] iqs kI joiq iqRBvx swry ]• pMc qqu suMnhu prgwsw ]......... (AGGS, M. 1, p. 1037-38)

God from Latent to Manifest Form• Guru Arjun, the fifth Nanak, describes the primordial trance of

God before the creation process starts as a manifestation of God :• For countless days, He remained invisible. For countless days, He remained absorbed in Sünn. For countless

days, there was utter darkness, and Then the Creator revealed Himself.

kyqiVAw idn gupqu khwieAw ] kyqiVAw idn suMin smwieAw ] kyqiVAw idn DuMDUkwrw Awpy krqw prgtVw ]  (AGGS, M. 1, p. 1081)

Big-Bang Cosmology in Sri GuruGranth(Guru Nanak in Rag Maru Solhe)

• Arbd nrbd DuMDUkwrw ] Drix n ggnw hukmu Apwrw ] nw idnu rYin n cMdu n sUrju suMn smwiD lgwiedw ]1] KwxI n bwxI paux n pwxI ] Epiq Kpiq n Awvx jwxI ] KMf pqwl spq nhI swgr ndI n nIru vhwiedw ]2] nw qid surgu mCu pieAwlw ] dojku iBsqu nhI KY kwlw ] nrku surgu nhI jMmxu mrxw nw ko Awie n jwiedw ]3] bRhmw ibsnu mhysu n koeI ] Avru n dIsY eyko soeI ] nwir purKu nhI jwiq n jnmw nw ko duKu suKu pwiedw ]4]

Cosmology Contd.• jw iqsu Bwxw qw jgqu aupwieAw ]

bwJu klw Awfwxu rhwieAw ] bRhmw ibsnu mhysu aupwey mwieAw mohu vDwiedw ]14] ivrly kau guir sbdu suxwieAw ] kir kir dyKY hukmu sbwieAw ] KMf bRhmMf pwqwl ArMBy gupqhu prgtI Awiedw ]15] qw kw AMqu n jwxY koeI ] pUry gur qy soJI hoeI ] nwnk swic rqy ibsmwdI ibsm Bey gux gwiedw ]16]3]15] {pMnw 1035-1036}

• For billions of years, there was nothing but utter darkness. There was neither day nor night, nor moon, nor sun, but the Lord alone sat in profound trance. Neither there was creation, nor air, nor water. There were no continents, nor underwords, nor seven oceans, nor rivers nor the flowing of water. There was neither death nor time. There was no Brahma, nor Vishnu or Shiva.

• When He so willed, He created the world and supported the firmament without support. He created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and extended the love of mammon. He founded the continents, solar systems and underworlds, and from the absolute self He became manifest.

Experimental Observations

• Radio telescopes have recorded evidence for various components of the expanding Universe. Star formation out of the Gas Clouds in the Galaxies is still going on. Evidence of Supernova explosions, Pulsars, Quasars, Neutron Stars and Black Holes is provided by Radio telescopes.

Two Phases of Reality (God)

• God is referred to exist in two phases: subtle (sukham) and solid (asthool). These are compatible with nirgun and sargun states.

• nank s] sUKmu s]eI AsTUlu . O Nanak, He is the subtle, and He is also the manifest.

(SGGS, M. 5, P. 281)

riv rihAa srbt OaeI sUKm] AsTUl . He is the source of life. He is all-pervading, permeating all

places; He is in subtle essence and manifest form. (SGGS, M. 5, P. 987)

Unification of Fundamental Forces• The discovery of God particle is a step forward to unification

of fundamental forces, Elctro-weak unification has been established experimentally, which formed the basis of Standard Mode.

• In Gurbani, Ik Onkar (^ ) represents the unity of God. God is self-existent (s{B;) and cannot be created as God particle has been created in the laboratory:

• TaipAa n jaie kIta n h]ie . Aap[ Aaip inr;jnu s]ie .

• He cannot be established, He cannot be created. He Himself is Immaculate and Pure. (Japu)

Discovery of God (Experience)• Guru Nanak also claims that invisible, inaccessible and unfathomable

God can be experienced face to face by searching in each and every heart, as He is omnipresent:

• e[km e[k;karu inrala . Amru Aj]nI jait n jala . Agm Ag]cru rUpu n r[iKAa . K]jt K]jt Gio Gio

w[iKAa .• The One Universal Creator is unique, immortal, unborn, beyond social

class or involvement.• He is inaccessible and unfathomable, with no form or feature. • I have seen Him in each and every heart, after searching Him

intensely. (SGGS, M.1, P. 838)

God Waves in the Spiritual field

• Gurbani elaborates the techniques of searching God in this Universe but the tools are not the same as used by the Scientists. Gurbani stresses the all-pervasive omnipresence of God in this Universe in the form of endless continuum of waves in the spiritual field, yet to be discovered by the scientific investigations:

• psirX Aaip h]ie Ant tr;g . lK[ n jaih parbRhm k[ r;g.

• He Himself is All-pervading, in endless waves. • The playful sport of the Supreme Lord God cannot be known. (SGGS, M.5, P. 275)

Suggested References

• LHC discovery, 4th July: a day to remember. CERN Courier, Volume 52, Number 7, September 2012.

• Higgs Boson- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_boson.

• Leon M. Lederman and Dick Teresi (1993). The God Particle: If the Universe is the Answer, What is the Question? Houghton Mifflin Company.

• Hardev Singh Virk, Concept of Reality in SGGS, Chapter 3, in: Scientific Vision in Sri Guru Granth Sahib & Interfaith Dialogue, Singh Brothers, Amritsar, 2008.

My Connection with God Particle