How Do Virtual Photons Mediate Forces in Quantum Electrodynamics?

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SUMMARY

Virtual photons mediate forces in quantum electrodynamics (QED) by facilitating interactions between charged particles, such as electrons and positrons. Unlike real photons, virtual photons possess properties that can lead to both attractive and repulsive forces, complicating the visualization of these interactions. While the concept of virtual photons may be abstract and debated regarding their existence, they serve as a crucial tool in theoretical calculations within QED. A relevant paper detailing these interactions is available at this link.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of quantum electrodynamics (QED)
  • Familiarity with Feynman diagrams
  • Knowledge of particle physics concepts, specifically photon interactions
  • Basic grasp of conservation of momentum principles
NEXT STEPS
  • Read the paper on attractive and repulsive forces in QED at this link
  • Explore advanced topics in quantum field theory
  • Study the implications of virtual particles in quantum mechanics
  • Investigate the role of virtual photons in electromagnetic interactions
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Physicists, students of quantum mechanics, and anyone interested in the theoretical foundations of electromagnetic forces in particle physics.

KarminValso1724
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Like, for example, how do photons attract positively and negatively charged particles. I need some help visualizing it.
 
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This is one of those cases where feynman diagrams give a misleading picture.
It's easy to imagine an exchange of a photon generating a repulsive force due to conservation of momentum, but virtual photons are different than regular photons. They can have qualities we don't associate with regular photons, which muddies up the issue.

Also, virtual photons might not actually exist, but they do make a useful device in calculations. By their very nature, all detected photons cannot be virtual photons.

Here's a neat paper talking about how attractive and repulsive forces can be generated in the quantum theory of electromagnetism.
http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.023601
 

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