Peter Higgs a British physicist predicted the existence of Higgs particle in sixties to explain how matter has mass. His theory suggested that Higgs gives rise to a field through which all other sub atomic particles (fermions) such as quarks, electrons and force carrier particles (bosons) such as photons, gluons, W & Z bosons must pass. When they (particles) interact with the field, the particles experience a drag, the more the drag, the more massive the particle.
The basic idea of all pervading Higgs field (which is carried by Higgs bosons) is an important part of the Standard Model of particles and forces, for it explains the masses of the carriers of the weak force, responsible for beta-decay1 and for nuclear reactions that fuel the Sun.
Most of the matter (known) in the universe is composed of up quark, down quark and electron (up quark has 2/3 charge while down quark has -1/3 charge). Proton consists of 2 up quarks and 1 down quark while Neutron consists of 2 down quarks and 1 up quark. This is the 1st family of the fermions in the standard model.
To find out more about this, read more in my blog Particle Physics / Getting closer to God Particle
Dark Matter which makes up 25% of the Universe finally detected. Dark matter eluded scientists for years as it doesn’t emit or reflect light. Scientists found proof of dark matter in the galaxy cluster 1E0657-556. The evidence provided by a cosmic collision between two huge clusters of galaxies. As per Maxim Markevitch of the Harvard Smithsonian Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the “most energetic cosmic show, besides the Big Bang” that we are aware of.
