Quantum view of Mass

TL;DR

This paper explores the quantum nature of mass, emphasizing how nucleon mass primarily arises from quantum chromodynamics effects rather than the Higgs mechanism, highlighting the dynamical aspect of mass in quantum physics.

Contribution

It provides a quantum perspective on mass, showing how nucleon mass emerges from QCD effects, contrasting with the classical and relativistic views.

Findings

Nucleon mass largely results from quantum chromodynamics effects.

Mass in quantum regime is truly dynamical, not just a static attribute.

Quantum effects can generate mass from nothing but the QCD scale.

Abstract

The classical view of mass is that it quantifies the amount of substance and is a kinematical parameter. All matter has an attribute of mass and is a conserved quantity in any interaction. With the advent of special relativity, mass became no longer a conserved quantity, since energy and momenta had the status of conserved variables. Nevertheless, the expression for relativistic mass gives a Poincare invariant measure that can be associated as the mass, a useful attribute of the body or system. In the quantum regime, mass becomes truly dynamical. Higgs field is said to provide mass to all the species of elementary constituents - as widely popularized by the media in connection with the recent (most likely) discovery of the Higgs meson at CERN. However, we emphasize that the most abundant component of matter - Nucleons - derives its mass largely as a consequence of quantum effects of (color gluonic QCD) radiation. Further, interestingly this arises out of literally nothing, save the QCD scale determined experimentally, through a self consistent perturbative analysis of nucleon structure.