2014 04 18

Mike Polioudakis

Pop descriptions of attraction and repulsion through particle exchange 

It is not hard to see how two particles can repel each other through particle exchange.  Many pop books on QM go through the exercise.  It is not even hard to see how the exchange of particles can mimic different kinds of force laws, such as the inverse square law (Coulomb’s Law for electrostatic charges).  

I have more trouble seeing how the exchange of particles can lead to attraction.  A few pop books allude to how it is done.  One author (forgot name) describes it as an exchange of boomerangs.  Few books actually describe attraction through particle exchange in any detail or in any believable detail.  THAT is what I need, a description of attractive force as an exchange of particles.  I don’t need to see the math.  I can provide math descriptions myself.  I need visual aids.  I need an intuition.  I need good pop writing based on sound physics.  If anybody knows of an author who does this well, please advise me.  

Nearly all books that describe particle exchange limit themselves to illustration of one event in which a messenger particular goes from one repulsed particle to the other repulsed particle, such as one photon between two electrons.  That is not enough.  The exchange of particles to lead to repulsion or attraction would have to proceed through many exchanges over time and over different distances, even with the exchange of virtual particles.  I take up this theme in another of these little notes.  I make a point of this issue here in case anybody who knows about a pop book about attraction through particle exchange might also know of a pop book that talks about continuing exchange.