Do the virtual particles produce a recognizable gravitational force?

[Meatbot]

At any given time, lots of them exist. I would expect this to produce a constant but rapidly changing gravitational force. How is this effect taken into account in cosmological theories?

 

[kttuan]

1. I don't clear what you want to do but
2. There are two kind of "virtual" particles in physics concept:
- one is pseudo particles: particles stand for an energy state (vibration states in material, for example)- this kind does not cause a graviational field
- The second kind: virtual prticles which exist in a short time: in principle, this kind will cause gravitation.
Happy new year 2008

 

[ice109]

1. I don't clear what you want to do but
2. There are two kind of "virtual" particles in physics concept:
- one is pseudo particles: particles stand for an energy state (vibration states in material, for example)- this kind does not cause a graviational field
- The second kind: virtual prticles which exist in a short time: in principle, this kind will cause gravitation.
Happy new year 2008

your first virtual particles are quasiparticles

 

[ZLBilley]

If you are talking about virtual particles as in the type that cause the Casimir effect, I'd assume they do have a gravitational force, but if it is indeed a constant background energy that causes this, the gravitational effect would be pulling from all directions equally, and therefore be 0. It might actually have an effect in the same situations that the Casimir effect applies, but since gravity is many order of magnitude less powerful than the electromagnetic force, it would probably be undetectable.