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There are many discussions on this site about the nature and reality of vacuum fluctuations. The general consensus seems to be that this it falls into the Lie-to-Laymen category. On the other hand, there are simulations like the ones by Derek Leinweber that visualize the nontrivial QCD ground state structure, which he explains as follows

Contrary to the concept of an empty vacuum, QCD induces chromo-electric and chromo-magnetic fields throughout space-time in its lowest energy state. After a few sweeps of smoothing the gluon field (50 sweeps of APE smearing), a lumpy structure reminiscent of a lava lamp is revealed. (The animation was featured in Prof. Frank Wilczek's 2004 Nobel Prize Lecture.)

enter image description here

This clearly seems to suggest that some kind of fluctuation is going on. While it's certainly problematic to speak of particle-antiparticle pairs that pop in and out of existence, I'm wondering if there is nevertheless at least some truth to the fluctuating ground state picture?

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  • $\begingroup$ I can't speak for others, but I find frantic animations in the middle of text to be very distracting, with the invariable result that I don't bother reading it. $\endgroup$
    – D. Halsey
    Commented Nov 21, 2019 at 14:31
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    $\begingroup$ I like the frantic animation for what it's worth. Do you know what a path integral is? That's what's going on behind the animation $\endgroup$
    – octonion
    Commented Nov 21, 2019 at 14:44
  • $\begingroup$ @octonion yes, of course! $\endgroup$
    – jak
    Commented Nov 21, 2019 at 14:50
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    $\begingroup$ I think that it is simpler to consider QED to speak about vacuum fluctuations. For me, screening of electric charge due to the vacuum polarization and corrections to Coulomb law is pretty well description of vacuum fluctuations. In addition, fo course, Casimir effect. Then, you can try to read about Unruh effect & Sokolov-Ternov effect. It seems that they are close to vacuum fluctuations. I just emphasize that QCD vacuum is much more complicated. $\endgroup$
    – Artem Alexandrov
    Commented Nov 24, 2019 at 10:33
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    $\begingroup$ Well yes, it is subtle. And it tends to get mangled a bit when we try to express it in words, rather than in mathematics. ;) $\endgroup$
    – PM 2Ring
    Commented Nov 24, 2019 at 15:29

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