Gomes, Henrique (2025) Particles before symmetry. [Preprint]
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Abstract
The standard model of particle physics is usually cast in symmetry-first terms. Recently, a geometry-first picture has been proposed, in which the relevant symmetries do not appear explicitly at the ground level of ontology. In this paper I extend this approach to two central mechanisms of the standard model: spontaneous symmetry breaking and the Yukawa coupling, both essential for particles to acquire mass. These reformulations offer alternative explanations cast in purely geometric terms. For example, a particle’s quantum numbers correspond to the internal space it inhabits and to the geometric type of object it is (e.g.\ an $(n,m)$-tensor). I argue that a symmetry-first account in terms of principal and associated bundles admits a genuine geometry-first counterpart only when the group’s representation coincides with the automorphism group of the fibre—a condition that cuts the slack tolerated by the symmetry-first view.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
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| Keywords: | Symmetry, fiber bundles, standard model, particle theory. | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Fields and Particles Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances |
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| Depositing User: | Dr Henrique Gomes | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 01 Oct 2025 18:22 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 01 Oct 2025 18:22 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 26803 | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Fields and Particles Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances |
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| Date: | 2025 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/26803 |
Available Versions of this Item
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Particles without symmetry. (deposited 24 Sep 2025 11:13)
- Particles before symmetry. (deposited 01 Oct 2025 18:22) [Currently Displayed]
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