👉 Light particles, often referred to as photons or gamma rays, are typically considered massless and travel at the speed of light in a vacuum. However, there are theoretical exceptions and phenomena that challenge this conventional understanding. One such exception is the concept of "dark light particles" or "dark photons," which are hypothetical particles that could mediate interactions between matter and dark matter. These particles would not interact via the electromagnetic force but could influence the behavior of visible light in subtle ways, potentially explaining some anomalies observed in experiments involving light-matter interactions. Another exception arises from the realm of quantum gravity and theories like loop quantum gravity or string theory, where the nature of light and its interactions with spacetime might be fundamentally different at extremely small scales. In these frameworks, light particles could exhibit properties that deviate from classical predictions, such as being influenced by quantum fluctuations in spacetime itself. Additionally, in certain high-energy particle collisions, phenomena like vacuum polarization suggest that even "empty" space can contain virtual particles that momentarily pop in and out of existence, potentially affecting the propagation of light particles. These exceptions highlight the ongoing exploration and complexity in our understanding of light at the most fundamental levels.
