How are the quarks in a proton or neutron held together?

[James Halliday]

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!

 

[phinds]

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!

A forum search would likely be helpful, particularly if you start with the threads linked to at the bottom of this page.

 

[rootone]

Gluons are a carriers of the strong nuclear force, similarly as photons are carriers of the electromagnetic force..
So 'strong nuclear force', one of the four fundamental forces, is the simplest answer.

 

[ChrisVer]

I tend to see the pions as the strong force mediators in the nuclei environment... rather than gluons...

 

[James Halliday]

I tend to see the pions as the strong force mediators in the nuclei environment... rather than gluons...

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]

Yup... that's why you are having something like the residual strong force (nuclear force) and the strong force (interactions of quarks and gluons).