Are Virtual Exchange Particles a Valid Concept in Understanding Remote Forces?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the validity and utility of the concept of virtual exchange particles in understanding remote forces, particularly in the context of quantum field theory and perturbation theory. Participants explore whether this concept is a serious and useful idea or if there are better descriptions available for explaining interactions between particles.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that while virtual particles are a part of calculations in quantum field theory, the concept of virtual exchange particles may not be the best way to understand remote forces, particularly attraction.
  • One participant argues that the field picture is more intuitive and formally appropriate than the notion of virtual particles, suggesting that interactions can be better described in terms of fields rather than particle exchanges.
  • Another participant expresses confusion about how virtual photons could account for attractive forces, indicating a need for clarification on this aspect.
  • References to perturbation theory and the use of Feynman diagrams are made, with a suggestion that these are merely mathematical tools rather than physical representations of particle exchange.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not appear to reach a consensus, as there are multiple competing views regarding the usefulness of the virtual exchange particle concept versus a field-based approach to understanding interactions.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in understanding how virtual particles relate to attractive forces, with some participants questioning the applicability of the concept in certain scenarios. There is also an acknowledgment of the potential misuse of the terms "virtual particles" and "vacuum fluctuations" in discussions.

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TL;DR
What is the concept or idea of this term?
Such particles are virtual, but it should be possible to associate a basic idea with them, as this is the foundation of calculation methods.

I think the concept of vacuum fluctuations in the form of virtual, fluctuating pairs of particles is something else. Is the idea of virtual exchange particles, which allegedly fly back and forth between real particles in order to be able to justify remote forces by impulses, a serious and useful idea, or are there better descriptions for it? That would work, if at all, only for repulsive forces. How, for example, a virtual photon could be used to create an attraction is beyond me.
 
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The concept is perturbation theory and it's just slang of quantum field theorists. It's better to think in terms of fields to describe interactions than to picture the interaction as the "exchange of virtual particles". The Feynman diagrams are just an ingenious mathematical notation for the formulae that enable you to calculate S-matrix elements via perturbation theory for a given quantum field theory (like the standard model of elementary particles). You find very valuable Insights articles about the use and abuse of "virtual particles" and "vacuum fluctuations" in the Insights Blogs of this forum

https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/what-are-virtual-particles-intro/
https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/vacuum-fluctuation-myth/
 
Another simple answer is that you don't need virtual photons at all. The field picture is much more intuitive and even formally more appropriate.
 

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