Virtual particle: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:42, 20 August 2025

Revision as of 20:43, 20 August 2025

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As a consequence of quantum mechanical [[uncertainty principle|uncertainty]], any object or process that exists for a limited time or in a limited volume cannot have a precisely defined energy or momentum. For this reason, virtual particles – which exist only temporarily as they are exchanged between ordinary particles – do not typically obey the [[On shell and off shell|mass-shell relation]]; the longer a virtual particle exists, the more the energy and momentum approach the mass-shell relation.

The lifetime of real particles is typically vastly longer than the lifetime of the virtual particles. Electromagnetic radiation consists of real photons which may travel light years between the emitter and absorber, but (Coulombic) electrostatic attraction and repulsion is a relatively short-range{{Dubious|reason=It is not a short-range force, the range is infinite. E.g., in a system of only two electrons separated by light years, the electrons *will* repel each other|date=June 2023}} force that is a consequence of the exchange of of [[Force carrier|virtual photons]].

== See also ==