If a virtual particle dips or blips out of existence then where do they go? Do they come back at a different point showing movement when the blip occurs? Are they some how different when returning?
Virtual particles appear and disappear in the course of interactions between real particles. The general phenomenon of particles appearing and disappearing in interactions happens with both real and virtual particles—but the interactions are such that momentum, charge, etc. are always conserved. So the things you should expect to see persisting in existence aren’t particles themselves, but those conserved properties.
But where are they coming from and going to if matter and energy cannot be destroyed? Appear and disappear just means they merely become detectable/detected?
Think of particles as bundles of conserved quantities like charge, energy, mass, etc.
In interactions, these quantities can be shuffled around and re-bundled into different particles—but the re-bundling isn’t creating or destroying the conserved quantities themselves.
But where are they coming from and going to if matter and energy cannot be destroyed?
From nothing. No new energy is created because virtual particles are always created in a way that does not disturb the total energy of the universe. For example, one particle and one anti-particle. It can't be any other way.
Virtual particles are still only theoretical. I think of them as a mental model of mathematical objects that arise when we try to calculate interactions between real particles.
I know there are some experiments like casimir effect that are attributed to virtual particles. But, it is possible to explain it in other ways.
They don't blip out of existence independently, they always annihilate each other. If you have a virtual particle/anti-particle pair, they will come into existence, exist separately for some time, possibly interacting with other, real particles, but in the end there will be some annihilation which ends the interaction and maintains the energy of the universe (no energy is created or destroyed).
Virtual particles never come into existence alone.
The interactions between real particles involve the appearance and disappearance of virtual particles. In these processes, both real and virtual particles can emerge and vanish, yet the interactions always ensure that properties like momentum and charge remain conserved. Therefore, what you should expect to persist are not the particles themselves, but the conserved properties that define them.
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If a virtual particle dips or blips out of existence then where do they go? Do they come back at a different point showing movement when the blip occurs? Are they some how different when returning? | Spyke
14 replies
Virtual particles appear and disappear in the course of interactions between real particles. The general phenomenon of particles appearing and disappearing in interactions happens with both real and virtual particles—but the interactions are such that momentum, charge, etc. are always conserved. So the things you should expect to see persisting in existence aren’t particles themselves, but those conserved properties.
But where are they coming from and going to if matter and energy cannot be destroyed? Appear and disappear just means they merely become detectable/detected?
Think of particles as bundles of conserved quantities like charge, energy, mass, etc.
In interactions, these quantities can be shuffled around and re-bundled into different particles—but the re-bundling isn’t creating or destroying the conserved quantities themselves.
Ok. universe is made of Lego. Got it. :)
From nothing. No new energy is created because virtual particles are always created in a way that does not disturb the total energy of the universe. For example, one particle and one anti-particle. It can't be any other way.
Virtual particles are still only theoretical. I think of them as a mental model of mathematical objects that arise when we try to calculate interactions between real particles.
I know there are some experiments like casimir effect that are attributed to virtual particles. But, it is possible to explain it in other ways.
They don't blip out of existence independently, they always annihilate each other. If you have a virtual particle/anti-particle pair, they will come into existence, exist separately for some time, possibly interacting with other, real particles, but in the end there will be some annihilation which ends the interaction and maintains the energy of the universe (no energy is created or destroyed).
Virtual particles never come into existence alone.
Well except when one is near the event horizon of a blackhole, in that case they can in theory survive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawking_radiation
Apart from that, yes
They are basically an energy credit. They don't go anywhere. They don't "come back" in any way.
what about Quantum?
Do you mean their quanta? That’s what’s being preserved.
If that is what is dipping in and out I guess yes?
The interactions between real particles involve the appearance and disappearance of virtual particles. In these processes, both real and virtual particles can emerge and vanish, yet the interactions always ensure that properties like momentum and charge remain conserved. Therefore, what you should expect to persist are not the particles themselves, but the conserved properties that define them.