Higgs mechanism generates mass in particles from "summary" of The Quantum Theory of Fields by Steven Weinberg,Weinberg S
The Higgs mechanism is a central feature of the theory of electroweak interactions. According to this theory, the particles that transmit the weak force - the W+, W-, and Z bosons - are not massless, as are the photons that transmit electromagnetism, but have mass. The Higgs mechanism explains how these particles acquire mass. The key idea behind the Higgs mechanism is the existence of a new kind of field, the Higgs field, that fills all of space. Like other fields, such as the electromagnetic field, the Higgs field can have waves propagating through it. But unlike the electromagnetic field, which is zero in its lowest energy state, the Higgs field has a non-zero value even when there are no particles present. Because the Higgs field has a non-zero value, particles that interact with it acquire mass. The way this happens is a little subtle. The particles that transmit the weak force - the W+, W-, and Z bosons - start...
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