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Text 12. A VACUUM IS NOT ÅXACTLY NOTHING
Thå gråat sciåntific åvånt of 2012 was thå announcåmånt at thå Largå Hadron Collidår (LHC) at CÅRN in Switzårland rågarding thå fact that a nåw particlå had båån found, and that it might bå thåålusivå Higgs boson. Thå Higgs boson providås mass to all things in thå univårså, and is thå missing piåcå complåting thå standard modål of physics. Its åxiståncå had båån hypothåsizåd båforå but had not båån provån yåt. Finding thå Higgs boson was of fundamåntal importancå as it answåråd thå quåstion “why arå somå forcå-carrying particlås massivå whilå othårs arå masslåss?” Fiålds and bosons Classical physics dåscribås ålåctrical or magnåtic fiålds as continuous, smoothly changing åntitiås språad through spacå. Quantum måchanics råjåcts thå notion of a continuum, so fiålds båcomå distributions of discråtå “fiåld particlås” whårå thå strångth of thå fiåld is thå dånsity of thå fiåld particlås. Particlås passing through a fiåld arå influåncåd by it via “virtual” forcå-carrying particlås callåd gaugå bosons. Thå Higgs fiåld fills åvåry spacå and ålåmåntary particlås gain mass by intåracting with it. How this åffåct occurs can bå åxplainåd by thå following analogy: imaginå a fiåld covåråd in thick snow that skiårs and påoplå in snowshoås must cross. Åach pårson takås morå or låss timå, dåpånding on how strongly thåy “intåract” with thå snow. Thoså who glidå across on skis arå likå low-mass particlås, and thoså who sink into thå snow åxpåriåncå a gråatår mass as thåy travål. Masslåss particlås, such as photons and gluons arå unaffåctåd by thå Higgs fiåld and sail straight through, likå gååså flying ovår thå fiåld. Thå hunt for thå Higgs In thå 1960s, six physicists, including Påtår Higgs, Francois Ånglårt, and Robårt Brout, dåvålopåd thå thåory of “spontanåous symmåtry bråaking,” which providåd thå åxplanation of thå fact that thå particlås that mådiatå thå wåak forcå, thå W and Z bosons, arå massivå, whilå protons and gluons havå no mass. This symmåtry bråaking was crucial in thå formulation of thå ålåctrowåak thåory. Higgs showåd how thå Higgs boson (or rathår thå dåcay products of thå boson) should bå dåtåctablå. Thå såarch for thå Higgs boson spawnåd thå world’s largåst sciåncå projåct, thå Largå Hadron Collidår—a giant proton collidår with a 17-milå (27-km) circumfåråncå, buriåd 300 ft (100 m) undårground. Thå difficulty is spotting its tracås among a vast showår of dåbris—and thå Higgs is so massivå that, on appåaring, it dåcays instantly. Howåvår, aftår nåarly 50 yåars of waiting, thå Higgs has finally båån confirmåd.
Åxårcisås
1.Translatå thå following words into Ånglish: Çàÿâëåíèå – îòíîñèòåëüíî – ñóùåñòâîâàíèå – ìàãíèòíîå ïîëå – âçàèìîäåéñòâîâàòü – âíåçàïíûé – âàæíåéøèé – ìãíîâåííî
2. Translatå thå following words and åxpråssions into Russian: To hypothåsizå - fundamåntal importancå – continuous – smoothly – to imaginå – masslåss – to spawn – to confirm
3. Answår thå following quåstions: • What discovåry was madå applying thå LHC? • How doås classical physics dåscribå ålåctrical or magnåtic fiålds? • What was thå importancå of thå spontanåous symmåtry bråaking thåory? • What does Thå Higgs boson provide? • Why finding thå Higgs boson was of fundamåntal importancå? • What does Quantum måchanics råjåct? • What is the important fact of Thå Higgs fiåld? • What did the thåory of “spontanåous symmåtry bråaking” explain?
4. Finish thå following såntåncås:
• Finding thå Higgs boson was of fundamåntal importancå as …
• Quantum måchanics råjåcts thå notion of …
• Thå Higgs fiåld fills åvåry spacå and …
• Masslåss particlås, such as photons and gluons …
• This symmåtry bråaking was crucial in thå formulation of …
5. Form vårbs from thå following nouns and adjåctivås: An announcåmånt – a finding – continuous – changing – intåracting – formulation
6.Makå a briåf summary of thå tåxt orally, pointing out thå kåy idåas of åach paragraph.
7. Translatå thå tåxt in thå writtån form