The Higgs particle could have ended the universe by now – Why are we still here?
Research from King's College London indicates the universe is meta-stable, with a low risk of catastrophic phase transition related to the Higgs boson, challenging models involving primordial black holes.
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Recent research led by Lucien Heurtier from King's College London explores the stability of the universe in relation to the Higgs boson, a fundamental particle responsible for mass. Despite the universe's apparent stability over 13.7 billion years, the Higgs boson could theoretically trigger a catastrophic phase transition, altering the laws of physics and potentially ending the universe. This transition could occur if the Higgs field, which is not in its lowest energy state, drops to a lower energy state, creating bubbles of space with different physical properties.
The study suggests that certain models involving light primordial black holes, which could have formed in the early universe, are unlikely because they would have caused the Higgs boson to destabilize by now. These primordial black holes, predicted by various cosmological models, would behave like heat sources, potentially facilitating the formation of Higgs bubbles. However, the research indicates that such black holes likely did not exist, as their presence would have led to observable effects that we do not see today.
The findings imply that the universe remains in a "meta-stable" state, with the risk of instability being extremely low for the foreseeable future. The research opens up questions about the nature of the Higgs field and the potential existence of unknown particles or forces that could influence its stability. Overall, the study emphasizes the need for further exploration of the universe's fundamental properties.
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