Virtual Particle Speed: Is It Measurable?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the measurement of virtual particle speed within the context of quantum mechanics and relativity. It is established that virtual particles cannot be observed or measured in the same way as real particles, leading to the conclusion that their speeds may be arbitrarily large. The propagation of interactions involving virtual particles is limited by the speed of light, which remains the upper boundary for fundamental interactions. Therefore, while virtual particle speed cannot be defined or measured, the effects of their interactions adhere to established physical laws.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of quantum mechanics principles
  • Familiarity with the concept of virtual particles
  • Knowledge of relativity and its implications on measurement
  • Basic grasp of particle physics and interaction propagation
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of virtual particles in quantum field theory
  • Study the principles of relativity and their effect on measurement
  • Explore the concept of interaction propagation in particle physics
  • Learn about the speed of light as a universal constant in physics
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Physicists, students of quantum mechanics, and anyone interested in the nuances of particle physics and the implications of relativity on measurement and observation.

Maartenc
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I'm reading up on relativity, but it confuses me.
If I observe a virtual particle pop up in empty space, what sort of average speed would that particle have? It cannot depend on my reference frame, because the particle doesn't know about that. Or perhaps it does, as my observation ties it into my system. Or perhaps it is fundamentally impossible to measure the speed of a virtual particle.
 
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One can not observe (i.e. detect or measure in some way) a virtual particle. Rigorously speaking, as the virtual particles don't need to obey all the physical laws of real particles, we can say that they may have arbitrarily large speeds. I am not sure whether one can speak of virtual particle speed. However, when speaking of the interaction propagation the top limit is the speed of light and as far I know all fundamental interactions propagate by the speed of light.
 
Thanks for the answer, and those links are excellent.
 

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