Ontological Stability in Quantum Field Theory

This conceptual critique challenges the ontological assumption of spontaneous vacuum fluctuations and unprompted particle transformations in quantum field theory (QFT). A single postulate is advanced: neither the vacuum nor an isolated elementary particle fluctuates, decays, or transforms in the absence of real physical interaction with another particle.

• identifying logical and empirical inconsistencies in the standard fluctuation picture,
• exposing frame-dependence in vacuum energy regularization that violates Lorentz invariance,
• distinguishing empirically robust Feynman path integral (FPI) results from non-FPI-based extrapolations,
• applying reductio ad absurdum to key claimed consequences of vacuum fluctuations.