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Questions tagged [carrier-particles]

Use for force carrier particles, quanta of characteristic quantum fields, usually gauge fields, such as the quanta of electromagnetic fields (photons), of the electroweak interactions (EW bosons), and of the strong interactions (gluons); elastic forces on on a lattice (phonons); nuclear forces (pions); gravity forces (gravitons), etc. May include conjectural particles from GUTS (like their proton-decay-inducing gauge bosons).

In particle physics, force carriers are particles that induce forces between other particles. These particles are quanta of characteristic quantum fields, usually gauge fields: the quanta of electromagnetic fields are photons, of the electroweak interactions electroweak bosons, and of the strong interactions, gluons. Pions, among others, mediate nuclear forces. Also use for gravitons mediating gravity forces.

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Why is gravity such a unique force?

My knowledge on this particular field of physics is very sketchy, but I frequently hear of a theoretical "graviton", the quantum of the gravitational field. So I guess most physicists' assumption is that gravity can be described by a QFT? But I…
Nick
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How exactly does gravity work?

The electromagnetic force and strong and weak forces require particles like photons and gluons. But in case of gravity there is no such particle found. Every mass bearing object creates a gravitational field around it, and whenever another mass…
Normie
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Are W & Z bosons virtual or not?

W and Z bosons are observed/discovered. But as force carrying bosons they should be virtual particles, unobservable? And also they require to have mass, but if they are virtual they may be off-shell, so are they virtual or not.
user1702
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Deriving the Coulomb force equation from the idea of virtual photon exchange?

Since Newton's law of gravitation can be gotten out of Einstein's field equations as an approximation, I was wondering whether the same applies for the electromagnetic force being the exchange of virtual photons. Is there an equation governing the…
Meep
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Was X17 predicted before it was observed?

Articles, with very little detail, have made their rounds about an X17 boson (16.7 MeV) being observed in tests of decaying beryllium-8 and perhaps once in a test with helium. Most of the undiscovered particles that are searched for in CERN or other…
userLTK
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How are forces "mediated"?

I hope this is the right word to use. To me, these forces seem kind of fanciful (except for General Relativity and Gravity, which have a geometric interpretation). For example, how do two charged particles know that they are to move apart from each…
Justin L.
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Does theoretical physics suggest that gravity is the exchange of gravitons or deformation/bending of spacetime?

Throughout my life, I have always been taught that gravity is a simple force, however now I struggle to see that being strictly true. Hence I wanted to ask what modern theoretical physics suggests about this: is gravity the exchange of the…
steve_just_steve
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Virtual photon description of $B$ and $E$ fields

I continue to find it amazing that something as “bulky” and macroscopic as a static magnetic or electric field is actually a manifestation of virtual photons. So putting on your QFT spectacles, look closely at the space near the pole of a powerful…
Nigel Seel
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Why can't photons have a mass?

Why can't photons have a mass? Could you explain this to me in a short and mathematical way?
oneat
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Why are all force particles bosons?

All of the force-particles in the standard model are bosons, now my question is pretty short, namely: Why are all force particles bosons? This can't be a coincidence.
Nick
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Nature of gravity: gravitons, curvature of space-time or both?

General relativity tells us that what we perceive as gravity is curvature of space-time. On the other hand (as I understand it) gravity can be understood as a force between objects which are exchanging (hypothetical) virtual particles called…
dF_
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How are gravitons compatible with general relativity?

I have been reading about how gravity has 2 equivalents descriptions: General Relativity. Explained by the graviton. How are these two things compatible? How can it be that gravity is explained perfectly through curving spacetime, and at the same…
Lorenzo Castagno
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What exactly does the weak force do?

I know that the weak force acts on nuclei and causes decay. But what exactly does the weak force do? Or to put it another way, why do we call it a force? Does it push the red particle of the picture away from the nucleus? Is it called a force only…
PNS
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Using photons to explain electrostatic force

I am trying to understand the idea of a force carrier with the following example. Let's say there are two charges $A$ and $B$ that are a fixed distance from each other. What is causing the force on $B$ by $A$? Classically charge $A$ has an…
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Why is there a search for an exchange particle for gravity?

If I understand correctly, according to Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, mass results in a distortion in space-time. In turn, the motion of the mass is affected by the distortion. A result of the interplay between mass and space-time is that…
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