Philosophical perspectives on ad hoc hypotheses and the Higgs mechanism

• Autores: Simon Friederich,, Robert Harlander, Koray Karaca
• Localización: Synthese, ISSN-e 1573-0964, Vol. 191, Nº. 16, 2014, págs. 3897-3917
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • We examine physicists� charge of ad hocness against the Higgs mechanism in the standard model of elementary particle physics. We argue that even though this charge never rested on a clear-cut and well-entrenched definition of �ad hoc�, it is based on conceptual and methodological assumptions and principles that are well-founded elements of the scientific practice of high-energy particle physics. We further evaluate the implications of the recent discovery of a Higgs-like particle at the CERN�s Large Hadron Collider for the charge of ad hocness against the Higgs mechanism.