Virtual particle is a transient quantum fluctuation that exhibits some of the characteristics of an ordinary particle. The concept of virtual particles arises in perturbation theory of quantum field theory where interactions between ordinary particles are described in terms of exchanges of ‘virtual particles’
Virtual particles are important in the physics of many processes, including particle scattering and Casimir forces. The longer the virtual particle exists, the closer its characteristics come to those of ordinary particles.
Virtual photons are the exchange particle for the electromagnetic interaction. The term is somewhat loose and vaguely defined, in that it refers to the view that the world is made up of “real particles” virtual particles are excitations of the underlying quantum fields, but are “temporary”.
Source:
[1] Wikipedia Contributors. “Virtual Particle.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Jan. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_particle. Accessed 5 Jan. 2021.
[2] darksouls1. “Mandala Esoteric Mystic – Free Image on Pixabay.” Pixabay.com, 29 Nov. 2016, pixabay.com/illustrations/mandala-esoteric-mystic-magic-1866212/. Accessed 6 Jan. 2021.