Recent content by Michael S

What does it mean, an electron can scatter on a Z boson? What does this have to do with the electron emitting a Z boson? Aren't virtual particles (neutrinos, in the case at hand) just popping in and out from/into the vacuum? Thanks for bearing with me.

What I mean is this: A particle surrounds itself with a cloud of virtual particles, so I wonder if more virtual neutrino/antineutrino pairs would pop up from the ambient vacuum if the particle was highly energized (like those electrons in certain heavy atoms which reach relativistic velocities).

Maybe neutrino-antineutrino pairs could be prevalent in a small enough sized scale (high energy situation)?

Hi everyone, This is my first post. Years ago I read in a science magazine that (at least according to a certain theory) every shell electron would be accompanied by one (or was it two?) virtual neutrino(s). At least that's my recollection of what I read. I know it sounds a little crazy. I...