Virtual Particle Speed: Is It Measurable?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the concept of virtual particles and whether their speed can be measured. Participants explore the implications of relativity and the nature of virtual particles, questioning the possibility of defining or observing their speed within the framework of physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion about the average speed of a virtual particle and whether it can be defined independently of the observer's reference frame.
  • Another participant asserts that virtual particles cannot be observed or measured, suggesting that they may not adhere to the same physical laws as real particles, potentially allowing for arbitrarily large speeds.
  • There is a mention of the propagation of interactions being limited to the speed of light, indicating a distinction between virtual particles and the interactions they may be involved in.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether the speed of virtual particles can be defined or measured, with multiple competing views presented regarding their nature and the implications of relativity.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the ambiguity surrounding the definition of speed for virtual particles and the dependence on interpretations of quantum mechanics and relativity.

Maartenc
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
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.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
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.
 

Similar threads

High School Speed of Light & Virtual Particles: Is There a Connection?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad Virtual Particles: Speed & Impact on Rocket
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
High School Special relativity thought: Traveling to the future relative to a particle
  • · Replies 29 ·
Replies
29
Views
2K
Undergrad What if particles are moving near light speed and one slows?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
1K
Undergrad Quantum fluctuations & 'virtual particles'
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
5K
High School New hypothesis of continuous wave function collapse
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
High School Understanding Virtual Particles: Speed and Rest Mass
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
2K
Undergrad Why is Rømer's light speed measurement not one-way?
  • · Replies 42 ·
2
Replies
42
Views
3K
High School Why is it impossible to go faster than the speed of light?
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
5K
High School Experimental evidence for effective mass increasing with speed
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K