Peter Higgs (1929 - 2024) was a British theoretical physicist best known for proposing a mechanism through which elementary particles acquire mass. [1] In 1964 he predicted the existence of a new particle, later named the Higgs boson, whose discovery at CERN in 2012 confirmed a central element of the Standard Model of particle physics. [2] He was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics, shared with François Englert. [2]
Early life and education
Peter Ware Higgs was born on 29 May 1929 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. [1] Much of his schooling was disrupted by his family's frequent moves and by the Second World War, and he was educated partly at home. He attended Cotham School in Bristol and later the City of London School, where he excelled in mathematics. [1] He went on to study at King's College London, graduating with first-class honours in physics and remaining there for his master's degree and a doctorate in molecular physics, which he completed in 1954. [3]
The 1964 papers
After research posts in London, Higgs moved to the University of Edinburgh, which would remain his academic home for the rest of his career. [1] In 1964 he published a pair of short papers addressing how gauge particles could acquire mass without violating the symmetries of quantum field theory. His work introduced what became known as the Higgs mechanism, in which particles gain mass by interacting with a pervasive field. Crucially, Higgs pointed out that the theory implied the existence of a new massive particle. [1]
Similar ideas were developed independently at around the same time by Robert Brout and François Englert, and by others, so the underlying idea is sometimes called the Brout-Englert-Higgs mechanism. [2] The predicted particle, however, came to bear Higgs's name.
Discovery and the Nobel Prize
For decades the Higgs boson remained hypothetical, and confirming its existence became one of the principal goals of experimental particle physics. [2] On 4 July 2012, physicists at CERN's Large Hadron Collider announced the observation of a new particle consistent with the long-sought boson. [2] The following year Higgs was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with Englert, for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles. [2]
Later life and legacy
Higgs was known for his modest and retiring character and was uncomfortable with the celebrity that followed the 2012 discovery. [1] Over his career he received numerous honours, including the Wolf Prize in Physics, the Copley Medal of the Royal Society, the Sakurai Prize, and appointment as a Companion of Honour. [3] He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and held honorary degrees from many universities. [1] Higgs died in Edinburgh on 8 April 2024, at the age of 94. His name endures in the vocabulary of modern physics, and the particle he predicted is regarded as a cornerstone of the Standard Model. [3]
