Quote:
Originally Posted by Robh
Ron, most interesting
and more interesting info here ...
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...periment-finds
To quote: "Although the electron has traditionally been considered to be an infinitesimally small point of charge, it actually drags a cloud of virtual particles around".
I have that niggling feeling that all I know is very little indeed!
Regards, Rob |
What that tells me is that their point particle, the electron, is actually a gestalt, made up of a number of particles apart from the actual electron itself. It's a composite particle and not a fundamental particle as the traditional definition of a fundamental particle would label an electron.
Makes you wonder about all the other fundamental particles. Also makes you wonder about these virtual particles. What is their relationship to the electron, what are their own properties and what happens with them during particle interactions...amongst a raft of other questions.