First, my apologies for the typos and odd word corrections. I was using my phone to type up the note. I thought I caught the typos and corrections, but I clearly missed a few.
Second, thanks for the help.
I have some understanding of conservation of mass, charge, momentum, lepton number as being required for the universe and particle creation / annihilation.
My questions revolve around a specific particle (Higgs boson), and a few general points involved in the creation of particles in accelerators.
I will try to clear up my points here. This all stems from a friendly disagreement with a colleague.
Fundamental particles have no constituent parts. We believe leptons, quarks, and some bosons are fundamental.
Is the Higgs boson fundamental? I thought it must be, but that is simply because it felt like it must be if it is what the Higgs field uses to interact with particles to give them mass. Since I am going on feelings, I don't trust them.
Dan addresses this to a certain extent. My interpretation, 'The Higgs seems to be as fundamental as anything else, however, we simply might not have the resolution to see anything smaller just yet.' So I feel somewhat at (perhaps temporary) peace with this point.
When talking about daughter particles, I chose my words poorly. It may be better asked, 'must daughter particles be fundamental?' I believe the answer to that question is 'no.' Must daughter particles be composed of multiple fundamental particles? Again, I believe the answer is no. As I read about these particles, they are often stated as being the product of a decay process. I have read some information from a few sources, but they typically don't address this question directly. I've come to my conclusion by simply thinking about what particles are produced from some decay processes. They are not always fundamental, nor are the always structures. However, I asked the question here, because I am not sure if how /I/ am using the term daughter particle is correct. I think this was answered yesterday. I believe both 'no' answers are correct.
Another cleaning up of my language, discussing the creation of a particle, energy, charge, momentum, lepton number (possibly baryon number) are conserved. If one runs a proton - proton collision, are all of the particles detected just the rearrangement of the quarks and bosons present in the initial protons? Are some created as the result not of the reaarangement of particles, but as a result of (really bad phrasing here) leftover energy? I understand that some of the energy would simply go to the kinetic energy of the particles.
I think this would likely not be simply the rearrangement of particles since positron - electron collisions also produce particles.
The above questions lead to what maybe should have been the only question I asked, but the question I am trying to resolve. I guess I am wondering if within the accelerator & detector, is there something like pair production happening? If so, what would be the other half of the pair produced with the Higgs Boson? Quick answer would be the anti-Higgs, but that is so knee-jerk that I feel I should put it back in my mouth and fingertips before I send the note. If there is not pair-production, then is everything either the re-arrangement of existing particles (with some color changing of quarks possible) along with some decay processes to more stable particles?