Here\u2019s what you\u2019ll learn when you read this story:<\/p>\n
Current theories suggest that W and Z bosons acquire mass from interactions with the Higgs scalar field, but a new study suggests that the higher dimensional structure of spacetime could be the actual cause.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
This complicated and unseen structure of spacetime could potentially explain some of the outstanding questions about the accelerating expansion of the universe.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
This new theory suggests that, if its true, future experiments should find a particle related to spacetime torsion called the \u201ctorstone.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Accepted scientific understanding is that particles<\/a> like W and Z bosons (carriers of the weak nuclear force) derive their mass from interactions with the Higgs scalar field\u2014an invisible field permeating the entire universe that lies at the very foundation of the Standard Model of Particle Physics. This is a well-explored theory of how mass arises in the universe, but some still consider the idea of a universal field to be an \u201cad hoc\u201d assumption.<\/p>\n Case in point is a new study\u2014led by Richard Pin\u010d\u00e1k from the Institute of Experimental Physics Slovak Academy of Sciences\u2014which argues that the very geometry of spacetime plays a bigger role in the forces and particles in the universe<\/a>, rather than acting as an inert backdrop. Specifically, Pin\u010d\u00e1k and his team suggest that hidden dimensionality of spacetime creates what are called G2-manifolds that, when allowed to evolve over time (known as a G2-Ricci flow), could provide explanations for some of physics\u2019 biggest questions. The results of the study were published in the journal Nuclear Physics B<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAs in organic systems, such as the twisting of DNA<\/a> or the handedness of amino acids, these extra-dimensional structures can possess torsion, a kind of intrinsic twist,\u201d Pin\u010d\u00e1k said in a press statement. \u201cWhen we let them evolve in time, we find that they can settle into stable configurations called solitons. These solitons could provide a purely geometric explanation of phenomena such as spontaneous symmetry breaking.\u201d<\/p>\n Apart from this explanation for broken symmetry<\/a>, the big challenge to conventional physics is the idea that this hidden geometry<\/a> of spacetime could apply to masses typically described by the Higgs scalar field. Instead of relying on a field, these masses would arise from torsion within this extra-dimensional geometry.<\/p>\n \u201cIn our picture matter<\/a> emerges from the resistance of geometry itself, not from an external field.\u201d Pin\u010d\u00e1k said in a press statement<\/a>. \u201cNature often prefers simple solutions. Perhaps the masses of the W and Z bosons come not from the famous Higgs field, but directly from the geometry of seven-dimensional space.\u201d<\/p>\n This theoretical explanation could also help explain some of the outstanding questions about the accelerating expansion of the universe. The team explains the possible existence<\/a> of a particle known as the \u201ctorstone,\u201d which would be linked to torsion that could be detected in future experience\u2014if this theory proves out.<\/p>\n