Global Doctoral Scholarship – Bonn-StAndrews
Bonn-St Andrews PhD studentship: Continuities and discontinuities in understanding the origin of mass
The University of St Andrews and the University of Bonn are pleased to offer a scholarship funded by both institutions, to support an exceptional student undertaking doctoral research on this project.
We are pleased to announce that Victoria Zwierzyk-Teles has been awarded this studentship and will begin work on the project in February 2026 with a year in Bonn.
Informal enquiries regarding the project may be addressed to Isobel Falconer ([email protected]) and Bernadette Lessel ([email protected]).
Further details about the project, supervisors, the award, St Andrews and Bonn, etc, below.
Project description
The origin of mass is one of the deepest questions in science. Today’s quantum theoretic belief is that mass is a manifestation of the resistance particles experience when interacting with the so-called Higgs field. Why each particle type acquires a unique mass remains unclear, and mass itself becomes a problematic concept since its main physical role is to mediate the gravitational interaction between material bodies — yet no current theory of gravitation reconciles with quantum field theory.
The question has a long history. Western scientists, from Newton’s era until the late 19th century, viewed mass as a constant intrinsic property of material objects. Then, mathematisation of field theories of electromagnetism and gravitation by Maxwell and others opened opportunities for deeper explanations. The electromagnetic world view emerged in Germany and Britain around 1900. In this view, all properties of matter, including mass, were believed to be fully reduceable to properties of special states of the electromagnetic field. The idea is strikingly similar to that of the Higgs mechanism; in both cases the property of mass is not intrinsic to matter itself but is reduced to the specifics of something else — but is there a historical continuity?
While the historical study of mass is well developed, the history of ideas about how mass is generated remains under-explored. This project allows for a conceptual and philosophical comparison of theories of mass generation between the late 19th and 20th centuries. Its scope expects the student to define their own project within it, while ensuring strategic fit. One aspect of an investigation of the potential continuities and discontinuities between the electromagnetic framework, the Higgs mechanism, and potentially non-Western concepts of mass generation could be the direct mathematical and philosophical study and comparison of the models employed. An alternative, less formal, focus could be the role of the Scottish community of physicists, as both Peter Higgs, after whom the Higgs mechanism is named, and key figures in reducing matter to the electromagnetic field originated or worked in Scotland. Exploration of exchanges and movements by figures far less known than Maxwell, Einstein, or Higgs, around the local cultures of the global – including non-Western –community of physicists, could provide new insights into how knowledge circulated to bridge the gap between ideas around 1900 and those in the late 20th century. The PhD project, “Continuities and Discontinuities in Understanding the Origin of Mass” will provide new integrated philosophical and historical perspectives on the ideas of mass underpinning the building blocks of matter and fundamental interactions.
While a foundational knowledge of physics and mathematics is essential, the student can propose their approach to incorporating non-formal factors influencing historical developments. The anticipated schedule is:
- Sept 2025-Sept 2026 Bonn
- Sept 2026-Sept 2027 St Andrews
- Sept 2027-April 2028 Bonn
- May 2028 – Feb 2029 St Andrews
This provides ample opportunity for archival work in both countries, for which additional small grants will be sought. In Britain relevant archives are in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cambridge and London. From Bonn, close relevant archives are in Göttingen, Freiburg and Amsterdam.
The major output will be a thesis meeting the requirements of either Bonn or St Andrews (decided early, in consultation with the student). Should they wish, the student will be supported in exploring digital research methodologies and/or dissemination methods for wider impact and public engagement.
In summary, exploring continuities and discontinuities across time and place in ideas of mass generation will harness the power of interdisciplinarity to provide new understanding of how foundational concepts evolve across different scientific cultures. This project bridges historical inquiry with philosophical analysis, fostering a deeper comprehension of a fundamental concept in physics.
The project will be managed jointly between the History of Mathematics Group in the School of Mathematics & Statistics at St Andrews and the Lichtenberg Group for History and Philosophy of Physics within the Institut für Philosophie at Bonn. The lead supervisors will be Prof. Isobel Falconer (St Andrews) and Prof. Dennis Lehmkuhl (Bonn). The expanded supervisory team includes also Dr Alex Russell (St Andrews) and Dr Bernadette Lessel (Bonn), who will play a major role in ensuring coverage of all areas required for this highly interdisciplinary project.