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Single Idea 21186

[filed under theme 27. Natural Reality / B. Modern Physics / 4. Standard Model / e. Protons ]

Full Idea

Inside a proton the quarks are rushing around like caged animals, free to move until they push against the bars to try to escape, when the gluons pull them back in.

Gist of Idea

Quarks rush wildly around in protons, restrained by the gluons

Source

Gavin Hesketh (The Particle Zoo [2016], 04)

Book Ref

Hesketh,Gavin: 'The Particle Zoo' [Quercus 2016], p.96

Related Idea

Idea 17563 The strong force pulls, but also pushes apart if nucleons get too close together [Inwagen]

The 4 ideas with the same theme [positive components of atomic nuclei]:

21106 Most of the mass of a proton is the energy in virtual particles (rather than the quarks) [Krauss]
21138 Neutrons are slightly heavier than protons, and decay into them by emitting an electron [New Sci.]
21144 Top, bottom, charm and strange quarks quickly decay into up and down [New Sci.]
21186 Quarks rush wildly around in protons, restrained by the gluons [Hesketh]