Recent content by DHO232

That is definitely what I'm doing and was thinking. I assumed a particle had to have a charge and rest mass to interact with a photon. They say you are describing it, it sounds closer to a momentary formation of energy from the nucleus into something like a finite potencial barrier. (Sorry if I...

Because if they are just a mathematical tool then they aren't physical there, and without a physical particle to collide with what is the second half of the collision event? I guess I mean: If a virtual particle is just a place holder for the unknown because we think there probably is a...

Aren't virtual particles just a mathematical tool used in Feynman diagrams though? I was under the impression there was no experimental evidence proving the physical existence of virtual particles. Obviously I could just be misinformed, but if there are no physical virtual particles then what...

Long time reader, first time posting here in physics forums. I know that according to relativity photons have no proper time. I also know that a photon of sufficient energy can interact with a nucleus's nuclear force via the weak interaction resulting in pair production. I was looking at a...