Passage summary:
1) Introduces an issue, i.e. SM does not agree that subatomic particles can gain mass, and a possible solution to it - Higgs field and boson;
2) Describes the implications that could occur if the theory were proved to be correct or incorrect, and accounts for several challenges that surround the finding of the boson;
3) EONR has manage to detect evidence that the boson may exist, but more research is needed to confirm the finding in order to further explain MS 1. Based on the information presented by the author, it can be inferred that if Higgs bosons did not exist
Relevant text: <...> but the mathematics behind the model seemed to prohibit subatomic particles from having any mass at all <...> If experiments prove that the Higgs boson exists, then scientists can be satisfied that this part of the Standard Model is accurate. On the other hand, if results demonstrate that the Higgs boson does not exist, then scientists will need to consider alternative versions of the theory.A) the
current theory of how particles gain mass would have to be adapted
on the one hand, the "current" theory doesn't allow subatomic particles to gain mass. So the wording is kind of imprecise. On the other hand, if not the boson, then alternatives will be build around MS. In that case, this seems to be the correct answerB) subatomic particles
would not be able to gain mass
too generic, because there may be alternatives to allow subatomic particles to gain massC) the Standard Model would be proved
erroneous incomplete does not translate into flawed. Moreover, it's said that scientists will need to rely on alternative methods instead, if the boson is found non-existentD) scientists would be
forced to look for another, lighter particle not given: we don't know whether this would an alternativeE) more experiments using highly energetic particle collisions would have to be conducted
again, the same as in D2) The primary purpose of the passage is to
A) present a
disputed theory and
defend its accuracy
B)
criticize a conventional model and argue for an alternative theory
C) outline an issue and
demonstrate the unlikelihood of resolving it
D) describe a problem and examine its possible solutions
correctE)
contrast two different models and show that one is more accurate
3) The author’s claim that “if experiments prove that
the Higgs boson exists, then scientists can be satisfied that this part of the Standard Model is accurate” would be most
undermined by the discovery that
Relevant text: The Standard Model gave satisfactory results in other areas in which it had been tested, but the mathematics behind the model seemed to prohibit subatomic particles from having any mass at all, which meant that the model was incomplete. Scientists speculated that a mechanism must exist that causes such particles to gain mass, but does not violate the principles of the Standard Model. They theorized that a field known as the Higgs field would allow such a mechanism to function, and that the Higgs field would have an accompanying Higgs boson particle. - to put it shortly, the boson would account for the mass. So in order to weaken the confidence that the scientist expect from the finding, we need to assume that we would find the boson that it would not account for the mass, undermining the hypothesisA)
many subatomic particles produce decay signatures that are similar to those predicted for the Higgs boson
doesn't even address the bosonB) in order to create mass, the Higgs field must work with another unidentified mechanism that requires its own accompanying particle
fits the bill, because it seems that there's something more than just the boson that is required to allow subatomic particles to collect massC) Higgs bosons and photons are both highly energetic and can decay very rapidly when created by particle accelerators
this has already been givenD) the particle discovered at the European Center for Nuclear Research has some properties that are not consistent with those predicted for the Higgs boson
the question stem already tells us to assume that the boson has been proved to existE) most collisions created by particle accelerators produce particles other than Higgs bosons, so the probability of discovering the Higgs boson is very low
the same as in D4. According to the passage, if Higgs bosons exist, then they possess all of the following properties EXCEPT
A) a fast decay rate
Further complicating matters, any Higgs bosons that are created will only exist for mere fractions of a second before quickly decaying <...>B) the ability to work in conjunction with the Higgs field
They theorized that a field known as the Higgs field would allow such a mechanism to function, and that the Higgs field would have an accompanying Higgs boson particle.C) a difficulty to be detected if they were created
However, this particle can only be created through highly energetic particle collisions achieved by massive particle accelerators, and even then, such particle collisions are just as likely to produce particles other than the Higgs boson.D) be created by massive particle detectors
this one seems really disputable. However, "Further complicating matters, any Higgs bosons that are created will only exist for mere fractions of a second before quickly decaying, which means that rather than studying the particles directly, scientists must analyze the patterns of the decay in order to determine whether the particle was in fact a Higgs boson." - implies that a detector will have to "create" the boson from scratch, relying on the patterns of its decay. Other ideas?E) relatively little mass
correct: If it were similar to lighter, more commonly found bosons, such as photons, it would be easily identifiable.Quote:
guptakashish02
,
Please refer to my explanation