Part 8/14:
The energy associated with the Higgs field’s state influences the entire universe. If this energy—or vacuum state—varies or transitions, it could have catastrophic consequences. The existence of a metastable Higgs vacuum implies the universe is in a delicate balance; a quantum tunneling event could flip it into a lower-energy state, unleashing destructive consequences.
The Hidden Danger: Metastability and the Role of the Top Quark
In 2012, physicists found that the Higgs boson has about 125 GeV of mass. Comparing this to the mass of the heaviest known quark, the top quark, which is about 38% heavier, scientists discovered something unsettling: the universe’s current Higgs field configuration might be metastable.