Higgs mechanism: Unveiling the Higgs boson

This lecture delves into the Higgs mechanism, which proposes a scalar field with a non-zero vacuum expectation value, leading to the mass generation of gauge bosons. It explores how the Higgs boson, electrically neutral but carrying weak hypercharge, interacts with other particles, resulting in absolute predictions for masses. Precision tests from LEP are discussed, revealing discrepancies in W boson mass measurements due to virtual loops. The lecture also covers the hunt for the Higgs boson at LEP, focusing on decay modes and experimental signatures. It concludes with the implications of the Higgs boson discovery, including unresolved questions in particle physics.