Self-breaking of the standard model gauge symmetry - art. no. 096006

If the gauge fields of the standard model propagate in TeV-size extra dimen sions, they rapidly become strongly coupled and can form scalar bound state s of quarks and leptons. If the quarks and leptons of the third generation propagate in 6 or 8 dimensions, we argue that the most tightly bound scalar is a composite of top quarks, having the quantum numbers of the Higgs doub let and a large coupling to the top quark. In the case where the gauge boso ns propagate in a bulk of a certain volume, this composite Higgs doublet ca n successfully trigger electroweak symmetry breaking. The mass of the top q uark is correctly predicted to within 20%, without the need to add a fundam ental Yukawa interaction, and the Higgs boson mass is predicted to lie in t he range 165-230 GeV. In addition to the Higgs boson, there may be a few ot her scalar composites sufficiently light to be observed at upcoming collide r experiments.