How does electric attraction work at subatomic scales?

In summary, Feynman diagrams are a mathematical representation of subatomic events, not a literal depiction. They can be used to calculate both attractive and repulsive events in quantum electrodynamics, as explained in Zee's "QFT in a Nutshell, 2nd ed." There is a risk in relying on verbal explanations for subatomic phenomena, but the text accompanying the equations in Zee's book provides a readable overview.
  • #1
Antineutrino
6
0
TL;DR Summary
What is going on in electric attraction Feynman diagrams?
In Feynman diagrams, I believe two like-charged particles will "blast" one another with a photon, thus pushing each other away because of the law of conservation of momentum. How would this work for electric attraction?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
A Feynman diagram is not a picture of what gets "blasted". It is shorthand for a term in a mathematical calculation.
 
  • Like
Likes DaveE and malawi_glenn
  • #3
It's a bit "risky" to ask for verbal explanations about subatomic phenomena and/or their mathematical description. As Vanadium 50 said, Feynman diagrams fall into that category.

However, if you only worry about how to describe both attractive and repulsive events in QED, you can find a nice passage in Zee's "QFT in a Nutshell, 2nd ed.", section I.5; it's on the math side, but the text between the equations is readable.
 
  • Like
Likes dextercioby and malawi_glenn

Similar threads

I Conservation of Lepton and Baryon numbers
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
2K
I Nonexistence or Feynman diagram of a decay
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
8
Views
2K
A How does one find the Feynman diagrams?
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
2K
I How does a photon interact with the EM field of a nucleus?
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
14
Views
1K
A Deducing decay processes and Feynman diagrams using Lagrangian and conservation laws
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
1K
Attractive Forces from Particle Exchange
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
2
Views
3K
I How prone is a photon to interacting with uncharged structureless particles?
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
8
Views
1K
Exploring the Physics of Attraction & Repulsion: A Feynman Lecture
    • Electromagnetism
Replies
4
Views
890
Elementary question on Moller Scattering Feynman diagrams
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
2
Views
3K
I Feynman diagrams and sum over paths
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
5
Views
1K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top