What is the Effect of Vacuum Polarization on Positive Nuclei?

[Kruger]

Ok, I'm sure you a few of you know the effect of vacuum polarization. No, I read a book about quantum electrodynamics. In there this professor derives the effective charge of a positive nucleus we observe under the effect of vacuum polarization. This results in the following weirde fact:

"The distribution of the virtual electrons and positrons is as this: The closer we come to the POSITIVE charged nucleus the more POSITRONS there are, meaning that there is more virtual positive charge". He say's than that this is absurd, because normally positive charge should attract negative charge. He then writes that this absurdity is explained in chapter 7 and so on...

And than I looked in the internet. And everywhere, every pdf document says something different as this book. They say the positive nucleus attracts the negative vacuum charge.

SO WHAT IS ACTUALLY RIGHT??

 

[LightHero]

The answer is that both explanations are correct. Vacuum polarization is a process in which virtual particles pop into and out of existence around a charged particle, creating a net effect that alters the Coulomb force of the particle. When a positive particle is present, it creates a "cloud" of virtual electrons and positrons around it. This cloud modifies the Coulomb force of the particle so that it is closer to the particle than it would be in the absence of the virtual particles. This means that the particle will attract virtual electrons, creating a net negative charge around it, while also attracting virtual positrons, creating a net positive charge around it.

 

[sir-pinski]

The effect of vacuum polarization on positive nuclei is a complex topic in quantum electrodynamics. It refers to the phenomenon where the presence of an electric field causes the creation of virtual electron-positron pairs in the vacuum. These virtual particles constantly pop in and out of existence and interact with the external electric field.

In the case of a positive nucleus, the electric field it creates will attract virtual electrons, resulting in a screening effect. This means that the effective charge of the nucleus, as observed from a distance, will be less than its actual charge. This is due to the presence of the virtual electrons, which are negatively charged, surrounding the nucleus.

However, as stated in the content, when we get closer to the positive nucleus, the distribution of virtual particles changes. This is because the electric field becomes stronger and can now create virtual positrons as well. These positrons will then contribute to the screening effect, resulting in a decrease in the effective charge of the nucleus.

The concept of positive nuclei attracting negative vacuum charge can be confusing, as it goes against our intuition of opposite charges attracting each other. However, in quantum electrodynamics, the behavior of particles is described by probabilities and can be counterintuitive.

In conclusion, both the book and other sources on the internet are correct in their explanations of the effect of vacuum polarization on positive nuclei. It is a complex phenomenon that can be explained differently depending on the level of detail and perspective. The important thing is to understand that the presence of an electric field can influence the distribution of virtual particles in the vacuum, resulting in a change in the effective charge of a positive nucleus.