Gluons are elementary particles that mediate the strong force, one of the fundamental forces in the Standard Model of particle physics. The strong force is responsible for binding quarks together to form protons, neutrons, and other particles known as hadrons.
Quarks carry a color charge (red, green, or blue), and gluons carry the corresponding color-anticolor charges. Unlike other fundamental force carriers, such as photons (for electromagnetism) and W/Z bosons (for the weak force), gluons themselves also carry the color charge. This unique feature results in the self-interaction of the strong force, making it different from other fundamental forces.
The term “gluon” is derived from “glue,” highlighting their role in binding quarks together within hadrons. Gluons play a crucial role in the understanding of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory describing the strong force interactions among quarks and gluons. Gluons have not been directly observed as free particles because they are always confined within the particles they bind.
