Neither electrons nor protons literally “wink in and out of existence,” but quantum mechanics describes their behavior in ways that can seem counterintuitive.
– Electrons: In quantum theory, an electron is described by a wavefunction that gives probabilities of where it might be found. Until measured or observed, the electron exists in a superposition of possible states rather than a definite position. This is sometimes poetically described as the electron being “everywhere at once” or “winking in and out” of certain locations, but the electron itself persists continuously. When a measurement occurs, the wavefunction “collapses” to a definite state, making the electron appear at a specific location[1][2][5][6].
– Protons: Protons are composite particles made of quarks bound by the strong force. Unlike electrons, which are fundamental particles, protons are more stable and do not exhibit the same kind of quantum superposition in position to the same degree. They do not “wink” in and out of existence in normal conditions. However, in high-energy physics or certain quantum field theory contexts, particles and antiparticles can briefly appear and annihilate as “virtual particles,” but this is a different phenomenon from the existence of stable protons[1].
In summary, electrons behave according to quantum superposition and wavefunction collapse, which can give the impression of “winking” behavior. Protons, being composite and more stable, do not exhibit this behavior in everyday conditions.
Sources:
[1] University of Southampton – Wavefunction Collapse
[2] Wikipedia – Wave function collapse
[5] Chemistry LibreTexts – Collapsing Wavefunctions
[6] PostQuantum – Wave Function Collapse
Read More
[1] https://www.southampton.ac.uk/~doug/quantum_physics/collapse.pdf
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_function_collapse
[3] https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/733047/what-is-so-special-about-the-wave-function-collapse
[4] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskPhysics/comments/16ol6qw/when_does_wavefunction_collapse_actually_occur_in/
[5] https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Quantum_Mechanics/03._The_Tools_of_Quantum_Mechanics/Collapsing_Wavefunctions
[6] https://postquantum.com/quantum-computing/wave-function-collapse/
[7] https://www.quantamagazine.org/physics-experiments-spell-doom-for-quantum-collapse-theory-20221020/
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is_QH3evpXw