Properties of the Gluon: Spin, Mass and Size

[taylordnz]

what particle holds the strong force? and what's its spin, mass and size?. (i need an answer with a refrence to a article or book for my research paper)

 

[suyver]

The strong force binds quarks together inside e.g. the proton and the neutron. The carriers of the force are a set of 8 gluons with different color-charges. Gluons have a spin of 1 and do not have mass (hence they travel at the speed of light) or electric charge. But they do have the above-mentioned color-charge. As gluons are elementry particles, they do not have an internal structure and also no size (i.e.: point-particles, just like electrons or photons).

 

[jcsd]

Gluons do have spin; their spin quantum number is equal to 1. But as you say theyt are massless, have no charge and canm have eight possible colour charges.

 

[suyver]

Me so stupid!

Of course jcsd is absolutely correct: gluons have a spin = 1. I changed my post accordingly. Thanks for pointing out my error!


By the way: check here for more info on the standard model.

 

[mormonator_rm]

All of these answers are correct, and the best source for you to reference would probably be the Particle Data Group's review of particle physics called The Physical Review. You can find a copy at http://pdg.lbl.gov/. The gluon is found under Gauge and Higgs Bosons in the Particle Listings. If you are looking for a page number, I don't have it for the latest edition, but my 2000 copy of the Physical Review has it on page 249. That's in Phys. Rev. D66, 2000 edition. You'll have to check it out for yourself.