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In the matrix expression, $t^a={\lambda }^a/2$ denotes a fundamental generator, whereas the component adjoint covariant derivative uses adjoint generators. With $\mathrm{Tr}(t^d{t}^h)={\delta }^{dh}/2$,Using antisymmetry to write $f^{acd}=f^{dac}$ and $f^{bed}=f^{dbe}$ gives exactly the component mass term. This is the gauge-boson mass matrix from an adjoint scalar.

For ${\Phi }_0=v\mathrm{diag}(1,1,-2)$, the Gell-Mann matrices $t^1,t^2,t^3,t^8$ commute with ${\Phi }_0$. Their gauge bosons are therefore massless. The generators $t^4,t^5,t^6,t^7$ connect the first two eigenspaces to the third; the eigenvalue difference is $3v$. Directly taking the matrix trace giveswith all remaining entries zero. ThusThe factor $1/2$ is the canonical real-vector mass term normalization. The unbroken Lie algebra is $\mathfrak{su}(2)\oplus \mathfrak{u}(1)$, giving the usual description SU(2) × U(1). More precisely, the centralizer of the vacuum expectation value inside $SU(3)$ isThis global quotient refines the adjoint-Higgs breaking of SU(3) to SU(2) and U(1) without changing the local gauge boson spectrum.