nonelectromagnetic

Nonelectromagnetic is a descriptor used in physics to refer to phenomena, interactions, or processes that do not involve the electromagnetic interaction. It is often used to contrast with effects mediated by photons, charged particles, or electromagnetic fields. In this sense, nonelectromagnetic contributions can be found in several of the other fundamental forces.

The term encompasses the gravitational, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear forces. Gravity acts on mass and energy and is described by general relativity in the classical regime, with ongoing efforts toward a quantum description. The strong nuclear force binds quarks inside protons and neutrons and binds nucleons inside atomic nuclei; it is described by quantum chromodynamics. The weak nuclear force governs certain forms of radioactive decay and neutrino interactions and is incorporated into the electroweak unification of the Standard Model. Together, these nonelectromagnetic interactions account for most non-optical phenomena on macroscopic and microscopic scales where electromagnetic effects are absent or negligible.

In practice, labeling something nonelectromagnetic emphasizes that electromagnetic forces or radiation are not the dominant drivers of the observed behavior. For example, gravitational effects dominate planetary orbits, while beta decay proceeds via weak interactions rather than electromagnetic transitions. Non-electromagnetic carriers such as gravitons (hypothetical) or neutrinos (weakly interacting particles) illustrate the kinds of phenomena that fall outside electromagnetism.

The term is primarily a descriptive category rather than a standalone force. It helps physicists organize theories and experiments by separating electromagnetism from the other fundamental interactions.