A forum search would likely be helpful, particularly if you start with the threads linked to at the bottom of this page.James Halliday said:I've been trying to find a source for this somewhere, but I always end up with different sources explaining what holds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus of an atom. I know that the gluons hold them together, but I'm not sure exactly how they do this, and what type of transfers occur and such. If anyone could direct me to a source or give me an explanation, that would be greatly appreciated!
Yes that's true when it comes to interactions between neutron to proton, proton to proton, etc, but the strong forces in the proton itself, between the uud quarks, is controlled by gluons.ChrisVer said:I tend to see the pions as the strong force mediators in the nuclei environment... rather than gluons...
The quarks in a proton or neutron are held together by the strong nuclear force. This force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature and is responsible for binding together the particles that make up the nucleus of an atom.
Gluons are particles that mediate the strong nuclear force between quarks. They act as the "glue" that holds the quarks together, constantly exchanging energy between them to maintain the strong nuclear force.
The strong nuclear force is much stronger than the electromagnetic force, which is responsible for the repulsion between positively charged particles. This allows the strong force to overcome the repulsion and bind the protons together in the nucleus.
Under extremely high energies, such as those found in particle accelerators, the strong nuclear force can be overcome and quarks can be "freed" from their bound state. However, in normal conditions, the strong force is incredibly powerful and cannot be broken.
Through experiments and observations, scientists have been able to study the behavior of particles and determine the forces that govern their interactions. The existence of the strong nuclear force and its role in holding quarks together has been confirmed by numerous experiments and data analysis.