What is Spontaneous symmetry breaking?
'''Spontaneous symmetry breaking''' is a way symmetry breaks in a physical system. The underlying laws do not change, but the system as a whole changes. [[Symmetry breaking]] in physics occurs when a system is crossing a [[Critical point (thermodynamics)|critical point]]. Small fluctuations decide the system's fate, by determining which branch is taken. ==Examples== There are several examples of spontaneous symmetry in nature. *A needle on its point is unstable, and will therefore fall over. The direction it falls, however, is random. * When a magnet is heated, above a [[:en:Curie Temperature|certain temperature]], it loses its magnetic properties. This is because the atoms are moving too fast to be aligned a particular direction. == Uses for spontaneous symmetry breaking == Spontaneous symmetry breaking can create a [[Theoretical particle| particle]] called a [[Higgs boson]]. This is a particle which is the force transferring particle ([[boson]]) of the Higgs field. The Higgs field gives mass to fundamental particles such as [[Electron|electrons]]. Also, many scientists believe in the [[Higgs effect]] (which is very similar to spontaneous symmetry breaking) to answer questions that are not answered in the [[standard model]] of [[physics]]. The standard model predicts that certain types of [[quark]]s should have a mass of zero, while in reality they have a non-zero mass value. Some scientists believe that spontaneous symmetry breaking is the answer. == Method of spontaneous symmetry breaking == For spontaneous symmetry breaking to happen, you need an environment which is completely symmetrical, and has at least two [[Probability|outcomes]] that are equally likely. Spontaneous symmetry breaking starts with two particles that are completely equal; their spin is equal, too. Mathematically, spontaneous symmetry breaking can be extremely puzzling, since you start out with two identical things and end up with two non-identical things. However, in practice, it is not so puzzling. If you have two particles moving at e