Does quantum field fills every single piece of the universe?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of quantum fields and whether they fill every part of the universe, addressing concepts of emptiness and the implications of quantum mechanics on the idea of "nothingness." The scope includes theoretical considerations and interpretations of quantum field theory.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that there is no absolute nothingness, suggesting that quantum fields must fill all regions of the universe without "holes."
  • Others mention the probabilistic nature of quantum activity, such as pair creation and annihilation, occurring within quantum fields.
  • A participant references an article discussing the Higgs field, proposing that it exists throughout all of space and interacts with particles to give them mass.
  • There is a discussion about the concept of "bubbling brew" of virtual particles, indicating that empty space is not truly empty due to these fluctuations.
  • One participant questions the definitions of "fills" and "holes," suggesting that these terms may require clarification in the context of quantum mechanics.
  • References to external sources, including articles and videos, are provided to support various claims and perspectives.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of quantum fields and the concept of emptiness in the universe. There is no consensus on whether quantum fields completely fill all regions or what the implications of this might be.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the complexity of terms like "nothing" and "holes" in quantum mechanics, indicating that these concepts may depend on specific interpretations or definitions that are not fully resolved in the discussion.

No-where-man
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I mean I read there is no such thing as absolute nothingness (which is logical), you can't create something from nothing.
But does it mean that quantum field fills every single piece of the universe which means there are not "holes", actually in quantum field that are completely empty?
Big thanks for the answer.
 
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I think what people often write, there is a probability of some quantum activity happening throughout the universe.

Eg. Pair creation and annihilation. This happens on a bed of quantum fields rather than coming from a |0> state.

Though, I have no real guess as to what happens inside a black hole
 
No-where-man said:
I mean I read there is no such thing as absolute nothingness (which is logical), you can't create something from nothing.
But does it mean that quantum field fills every single piece of the universe which means there are not "holes", actually in quantum field that are completely empty?
Big thanks for the answer.

Wow! You're lucky that the notion that there is no such thing as absolute nothingness is logical to you! :D
To answer your question, I'm pretty sure the answer is yes. Referring to this article,
http://physics.about.com/od/quantumphysics/f/HiggsField.htm, I quote

"He proposed that this field existed throughout all of space and that particles gained their mass by interacting with it."

Also vacuum fluctuations don't make sense if there are regions where the fields are 'restricted' from.
 
eightsquare said:
Wow! You're lucky that the notion that there is no such thing as absolute nothingness is logical to you! :D
To answer your question, I'm pretty sure the answer is yes. Referring to this article,
http://physics.about.com/od/quantumphysics/f/HiggsField.htm, I quote

"He proposed that this field existed throughout all of space and that particles gained their mass by interacting with it."

Also vacuum fluctuations don't make sense if there are regions where the fields are 'restricted' from.

Ok, big thanks for the link.
 
No-where-man said:
you can't create something from nothing

Well, nothing is a tricky term in QM and Lawrence Krauss does not entirely agree:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46sKeycH3bE


But does it mean that quantum field fills every single piece of the universe which means there are not "holes", actually in quantum field that are completely empty?

Depends what you mean by “fills” and “holes”... it’s like a “bubbling brew” of virtual particles, popping in and out of existence, so fast that you can never detect them, hence empty space is not completely empty. The fact is; the weight of your body comes mostly from the “borrowed energy” of virtual particles because the quarks (the building blocks of protons and neutrons in the atomic nuclei) weigh almost nothing (maybe a perfect ‘remedy’ for overweight people – “It’s only virtual!” :smile:).
250px-Quark_structure_proton.svg.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3xLuZNKhlY


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECkG_JdodMA


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_chromodynamics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Wilczek
 
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