High School What is the Role of Sub-Particles in the Existence of Matter?

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The discussion centers on the nature of subatomic particles and their role in the existence of matter. Participants debate the concept of virtual particles and clarify that real particles, as defined by the standard model, are distinct from virtual particles, which are not physically real. There is an exploration of the relationship between energy states and particle density, suggesting that real particles can condense from a vacuum state, but the feasibility of this is questioned. A particle physicist emphasizes that the vacuum state typically contains no real particles, as adding them increases energy. The conversation highlights misconceptions about particle behavior and the complexities of quantum mechanics.
Marco DF
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Hi everyone!

Here the question(s).

In the vacuum, the sub particles pop up and down (annihilation).
If this is right, we can tell that the all matter is the attempt of sub particles to remain alive?

so, is my glass of wine a desperate attempt of electrons, quarks, and all the other particles, to stay present here and now in this quantum state?

cheers!
 
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What exactly is this “sub particle” that you are talking about?

Zz.
 
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Marco DF said:
In the vacuum, the sub particles pop up and down (annihilation).
There is no such process. You might think of virtual particles which you can frequently find in popular science description, but virtual particles are not real (that's why they are called virtual).
The matter you can see is made out of real particles.
 
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ZapperZ said:
What exactly is this “sub particle” that you are talking about?

Zz.
Hi ZapperZ,
I meant the subatomic particles described by the standard model... is it wrong to call "sub particles"?
 
Marco DF said:
Hi ZapperZ,
I meant the subatomic particles described by the standard model... is it wrong to call "sub particles"?

It is wrong to describe these particles they way YOU did!

Zz.
 
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ZapperZ said:
It is wrong to describe these particles they way YOU did!

Zz.
I'm almost happy to hear that! Mean that i think in wrong way, and i need to fix this. May i ask you what can i read to understand the right way to describe these particles?
 
Marco DF said:
I'm almost happy to hear that! Mean that i think in wrong way, and i need to fix this. May i ask you what can i read to understand the right way to describe these particles?

Read the responses that you have received.

Zz.
 
Marco DF said:
Hi everyone!

Here the question(s).

In the vacuum, the sub particles pop up and down (annihilation).
If this is right, we can tell that the all matter is the attempt of sub particles to remain alive?

so, is my glass of wine a desperate attempt of electrons, quarks, and all the other particles, to stay present here and now in this quantum state?

cheers!

If you substitute real particles and seeking lowest energy ground state for virtual particles and attempting to stay alive, I think there is a relationship something like what you are pondering... a relationship between energy and density of particles that attract each other in which the energy ground state with particles is lower than the empty vacuum energy ground state... the particles condensing out of the vacuum lowers the ground energy state.

Maybe someone that recognizes my poor description can clarify the principle.
 
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bahamagreen said:
If you substitute real particles and seeking lowest energy ground state for virtual particles and attempting to stay alive, I think there is a relationship something like what you are pondering... a relationship between energy and density of particles that attract each other in which the energy ground state with particles is lower than the empty vacuum energy ground state... the particles condensing out of the vacuum lowers the ground energy state.

Maybe someone that recognizes my poor description can clarify the principle.
As a particle physicist: I have no idea what you are talking about.
 
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  • #11
"Normally the "vacuum state", which is the state of minimum energy of a quantum system, is that state in which one expects to find no real particles, because the energy of the system increases as you add real massive particles. If the interactions between the particles are attractive, one might imagine that the minimum energy configuration is not one with an absence of real particles, but rather one in which a nonzero density of real particles "condenses" into this vacuum state."
Krauss, particle physicist
 
  • #12
There is no interaction attractive enough to make that happen. The Higgs potential could be in a metastable state and decay eventually, but that is a different topic.
 
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