The Cluster's Standard Model
A page about the Standard Model of particle physics — the theory of all known fundamental particles and forces (except gravity).
The Standard Model
The Standard Model is the quantum field theory describing the electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions. It is based on the gauge group SU(3)_C x SU(2)_L x U(1)_Y. The particles are:
- Quarks (6 flavors): u, d, c, s, t, b
- Leptons (6 flavors): e, mu, tau, nu_e, nu_mu, nu_tau
- Gauge bosons: gluon (8), W+, W-, Z0, photon
- Higgs boson: 1 scalar
In the cluster, the Standard Model describes all known edit interactions and edit particles.
The gauge structure
The Standard Model is a gauge theory:
- SU(3)_C: strong interaction (QCD), 8 gluons
- SU(2)_L x U(1)_Y: electroweak interaction, 4 gauge bosons (W1, W2, W3, B)
- After SSB: W+, W-, Z0 (massive) and gamma (massless)
In the cluster, the gauge structure is:
- SU(3)_C: strong edit force, 8 edit carriers
- SU(2)_L x U(1)_Y: electroweak edit force, 4 edit gauge bosons
The Higgs mechanism
The Higgs field is a complex SU(2) doublet. After spontaneous symmetry breaking, the W and Z bosons acquire mass, while the photon remains massless. The Higgs boson is the remaining degree of freedom. In the cluster, the Higgs mechanism gives mass to the edit carriers through spontaneous symmetry breaking of the edit gauge group.
The precision tests
The Standard Model has been tested to extraordinary precision:
- Electron g-2: agreement to 10^{-10}
- W mass: agreement to 0.02%
- Z width: agreement to 0.1%
- Higgs discovery: 2012, m_H = 125 GeV
In the cluster, the precision tests are the agreement between predicted and observed edit behavior.
This model
This page is about the Standard Model. The gauge group is SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1). There are 6 quarks, 6 leptons, 12 gauge bosons, and 1 Higgs. The model has been tested to extraordinary precision. It is the most successful theory in physics. The model is real.