This work analyzes quantum fields that describe
particles and quantum fields that mediate interaction between particles.
Criteria for the acceptability of a quantum theory are explained and used. The
main result states that no genuine particle mediates interaction between other
particles. It is proved that Maxwellian radiation fields, namely photons,
interact with electric charges but no genuine photon is involved in a bound
state of atomic electrons or in the case where an electronic beam is scattered
by an electrically charged target. The term virtual photons, which describes interaction
mediating electromagnetic fields, indicates that the current literature
implicitly agrees with this conclusion. Analogous results are obtained for the
strong nuclear force, for the strong interactions and for the weak
interactions.
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