Editing Force carrier (section)

== Particle and field viewpoints ==
{{main|Wave–particle duality}}
[[Quantum field theories]] describe nature in terms of [[field (physics)|field]]s. Each field has a [[Complementarity (physics)|complementary]] description as the set of particles of a particular type.  A [[force]] between two particles can be described either as the action of a [[force field (physics)|force field]] generated by one particle on the other, or in terms of the exchange of [[virtual particles|virtual]] force-carrier particles between them.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Jaeger|first1=Gregg|title=Are virtual particles less real?|journal=Entropy |volume=21 |issue=2|page=141|date=2019|doi=10.3390/e21020141|pmid=33266857|pmc=7514619 |bibcode=2019Entrp..21..141J|url=http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/15858/1/Jaeger%20Are%20Virtual%20Particles%20Less%20Real_%20entropy-21-00141-v3.pdf|doi-access=free}}</ref>

The energy of a wave in a field (for example, an [[electromagnetic wave]] in the [[electromagnetic field]]) is quantized, and the [[excited state|quantum excitation]]s of the field can be interpreted as particles.  The [[Standard Model]] contains the following force-carrier particles, each of which is an excitation of a particular force field:
*[[Gluon]]s, excitations of the [[strong interaction|strong]] [[gauge field]].
*[[Photon]]s, [[W and Z bosons|W bosons, and Z bosons]], excitations of the [[electroweak interaction|electroweak]] gauge fields.
*[[Higgs boson]]s, excitations of one component of the [[Higgs field]], which gives mass to fundamental particles.
In addition, composite particles such as [[meson]]s, as well as [[quasiparticle]]s, can be described as excitations of an [[effective field theory|effective field]].

Gravity is not a part of the Standard Model, but it is thought that there may be particles called [[gravitons]] which are the excitations of [[gravitational waves]].  The status of this particle is still tentative, because the theory is incomplete and because the interactions of ''single'' gravitons may be too weak to be detected.<ref name="Rothman">{{cite journal |last=Rothman |first=Tony |author2=Stephen Boughn |date=November 2006 |title=Can Gravitons be Detected? |journal=Foundations of Physics |volume=36 |issue=12 |pages=1801–1825 |arxiv=gr-qc/0601043 |doi=10.1007/s10701-006-9081-9 |bibcode = 2006FoPh...36.1801R |s2cid=14008778 }}</ref>