Static forces and virtual-particle exchange: Difference between revisions

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{{Use American English|date = February 2019}}

{{Short description|Physical interaction in post-classical physics}}

'''Static force fields''' are fields, such as a simple [[Electric field|electric]], [[Magnetic field|magnetic]] or [[gravitational field]]s, that exist without excitations. The [[Perturbation theory (quantum mechanics)|most common approximation method]] that physicists use for [[Scattering theory|scattering calculations]] can be interpreted as static forces arising from the interactions between two bodies mediated by '''[[virtual particle]]s''', particles that exist for only a short time determined by the [[uncertainty principle]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Jaeger|first1=Gregg|title=Are virtual particles less real?| journal=Entropy |volume=21 |issue=2|page=141|date=2019|doi=10.3390/e21020141|pmid=33266857 |pmc=7514619 |bibcode=2019Entrp..21..141J|doi-access=free}}</ref> The virtual particles, also known as [[force carrier]]s, are [[boson]]s, with different bosons associated with each force.<ref name="Zee">{{cite book | first = A. | last = Zee | title=Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell| publisher= Princeton University| year=2003 | isbn=0-691-01019-6}}</ref>{{rp|pp=16–37}}

The virtual-particle description of static forces is capable of identifying the spatial form of the forces, such as the inverse-square behavior in [[Newton's law of universal gravitation]] and in [[Coulomb's law]]. It is also able to predict whether the forces are attractive or repulsive for like bodies.