>>11819666no jon, if you don't understand this simple explanation, then this is your fault. and i only started on this a few months ago, for the record.
the explanation for why the higgs mechanism cannot generate W and Z masses UNLESS the higgs is spin-0 is a basic textbook thing. intuitively, i can explain it for you at undergrad level. here goes:
i assume you know what a vacuum expectation value is (VEV). i assume you also know that the higgs field VEV is what gives masses to the W and Z as well as all other particles (except maybe neutrinos.) if you need clarification here, let me know.
a VeV for a scalar field is a scalar. if the VeV for a scalar field is 10, then it is 10 no matter what your state of motion is. is this clear? scalar quantities are invariant under lorentz transformations.
OTOH, a spin 1 field is a vector field. and vector fields transform under lorentz transformations. in other words, they are not invariant under lorentz transformations. this is because a vector field is characterized by a magnitude and a direction. so it's like a little arrow or stick pointing in a direction. and if you have a stick pointing in one direction, then it will look longer or shorter depending on how you are moving relative to it because of length contraction. therefore, vector fields like spin 1 fields can only be lorentz invariant if their VeV is 0. if their VeV is nonzero, then whatever their VeV is, it changes depending on how you are observing it (your lorentz frame.) so if the field that gives masses to the W and Z were a vector field, then their masses would depend on the reference frame from which you observe them, or something else equally ridiculous. also it would imply that there are preferred directions in the universe, i.e. where the VeV of the spin 1 higgs field is pointing.
this is all very basic stuff. i have avoided explaining it because i hoped i could get through to you without this sort of pedagogical explanation. but so be it
