Gribbin (1989: 245-6):
The laws of quantum physics allow such a pair of particles [an electron–positron pair] to pop into existence out of the vacuum for a very, very tiny split second of time (Planck's constant divided by 1 MeV) and then to annihilate one another and disappear again. Such particle pairs are called "virtual" particles. Each pair can exist only for a very short time, but the vacuum is seething with such pairs, constantly being produced, disappearing, and being replaced by new pairs. At least that is what quantum physics says the vacuum is like. And the existence of virtual particles has a direct effect on the equations of particle physics. Without virtual particles, the equations do not predict correctly the interactions between charged particles. With effects due to virtual particles included, they do.
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From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, virtual particles are hypothesised instances of quantum potential — their frequencies being instances of quantum probability.
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