Static forces and virtual-particle exchange: Difference between revisions

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The [[path integral formulation]] is the natural language for describing force carriers. This article uses the path integral formulation to describe the force carriers for [[Spin (physics)|spin]] 0, 1, and 2 fields. [[Pion]]s, [[photon]]s, and [[graviton]]s fall into these respective categories.

There are limits to the validity of the virtual particle picture. The virtual-particle formulation is derived from a method known as [[perturbation theory]] which is an approximation assuming interactions are not too strong, and was intended for scattering problems, not bound states such as atoms. For the strong force binding [[quark]]s into [[nucleon]]s at low energies, perturbation theory has never been shown to yield results in accord with experiments,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hep.phy.cam.ac.uk/theory/research/hadronic.html |title=ArchivedHigh copyEnergy Physics Group - Hadronic Physics |accessdate=2010-08-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717002648/http://www.hep.phy.cam.ac.uk/theory/research/hadronic.html |archivedate=2011-07-17 }}</ref> thus, the validity of the "force-mediating particle" picture is questionable. Similarly, for [[bound state]]s the method fails.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/752.mf1i.spring03/Time_Ind_PT.htm|title=Time-Independent Perturbation Theory| work=virginia.edu}}</ref> In these cases, the physical interpretation must be re-examined. As an example, the calculations of atomic structure in atomic physics or of molecular structure in quantum chemistry could not easily be repeated, if at all, using the "force-mediating particle" picture.{{fact|date=October 2014}}

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<!-- Additionally, one should look critically{{fact|date=October 2014}} at the recent CERN experiments{{fact|date=October 2014}} in which evidence is shown supporting the physical reality of the Higgs boson, which is a force-mediating particle. One should be careful not to make the logical error known as [[Reification (fallacy)|reification]], which confuses concept and reality. -->