Physics doesn't answer such a question, but the question is nevertheless a good one.
microsansfil said:
Does the answer depends on what physical theory we use ?
Our models generally describe observed phenomena and should be useful in making predictions. They rarely tell us "what something is."
The 'particles don't care how we model them, but I 'd agree with your statement: when you ask different scientists, even ask different questions, you'll get different answers.
All known particles are modeled in the Standard Model of particle physics, which is actually a hodge podge of quantum field theories in flat spacetime coupled with observed quantities for which we have no theory, like the mass of an electron. Flat space time means no gravity, no 'graviton' particles.
Rovelli: “…we observe that if the mathematical definition of a particle appears somewhat problematic, its operational definition is clear: particles are the objects revealed by detectors, tracks in bubble chambers, or discharges of a photomultiplier” ...
A particle is in some sense the smallest volume/unit in which the field or action of interest can operate….Most discussions regarding particles are contaminated with classical ideas of particles and how to rescue these ideas on the quantum level. "
As presented in Weinberg's "The quantum theory of fields" vol.1: The primary objects are particles described by irreducible unitary representations of the Poincare group. For realistic systems with varying numbers of particles we build the Fock space as a direct sum of products of irreducible representations spaces. Then the sole purpose of quantum fields (=certain linear combinations of particle creation and annihilation operators) is to provide "building blocks" for interacting generators of the Poincare group in the Fock space. In this logic quantum fields are no more than mathematical tools.
And the deeper one goes, the 'crazier' it gets:
It seems that expansion of geometry itself, especially inflation, can produce matter [particles]. Gravitational perturbations [wave inhomogeneaties] in an expanding space produces observable [point] particles. Mathematical transformations between inertial and accelerated frames also seems to produce particles: such different observers see different vacuum energies...and such energy differences result in particle production.
A related phenomena is the "Unruh effect." A vacuum state is observer dependent! The
uncertainty principle requires every physical system to have a zero-point energy….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy “...Vacuum energy is the zero-point energy of all the fields in space...the energy of the vacuum, which in quantum field theory is defined not as empty space but as the ground state of the fields...which leads to virtual particles.
If you are accelerating and I am inertial, we do NOT measure the same vacuum energy! This means if you are accelerating, you detect heat, particles, I do not.
"There is not a definite line differentiating virtual particles from real particles — the equations of physics just describe particles (which includes both equally).
... In the quantum field theory view, "real particles" are viewed as being detectable excitations of underlying quantum fields. As such, virtual particles are also excitations of the underlying fields, but are detectable only as forces but not particles. They are "temporary" in the sense that they appear in calculations, but are not detected as single particles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_...g_vacuum_state
String theory is unproven and posits particles are actually one dimensional objects, like a string. The Stand Model of particle physics models them as the point like interactions of extended quantum fields.