Final answer:
QED describes the electromagnetic scattering of neutral fermions like neutrons via the exchange of virtual photons. This occurs due to the neutrons' magnetic moments, with the photons functioning as the mediators of this interaction, despite the lack of electric charge.
Step-by-step explanation:
Quantum electrodynamics (QED) describes the scattering of electrically neutral particles with magnetic moments, such as neutrons, through the exchange of virtual photons. The electromagnetic force operates at the quantum level via this exchange, even though the particles involved do not carry an electric charge. Photons serve as the force carrier, allowing particles to interact electromagnetically without direct contact.
Since neutrons are uncharged fermions, they can still scatter electromagnetically by exchanging virtual photons; this can occur because neutrons have a magnetic moment due to the magnetic moments of their constituent quarks and the spin of those quarks. The scattering is not due to electric charge interaction, but rather due to the magnetic interaction that also operates under the electromagnetic force, which is governed by QED. According to the Standard Model, this interaction is conveyed through virtual particles that cannot be directly observed, as their observation would disrupt the transmission of force.