Figure 26-8: R I V U X G
Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking of Water When liquid water freezes it transitions from a highly uniform and symmetric state to ice crystals that break this uniformity. Since lower temperatures correspond to lower average energy for the water’s particles, we say that water experiences a spontaneous symmetry breaking at lower energy. By analogy, the high temperature symmetric water is like the electroweak force, and the ice crystals are like the electromagnetic and weak forces.
Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking of Water When liquid water freezes it transitions from a highly uniform and symmetric state to ice crystals that break this uniformity. Since lower temperatures correspond to lower average energy for the water’s particles, we say that water experiences a spontaneous symmetry breaking at lower energy. By analogy, the high temperature symmetric water is like the electroweak force, and the ice crystals are like the electromagnetic and weak forces.
(Frank Siteman/Aflo Relax/Corbis)