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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 20 ideas from Gavin Hesketh

Electrons are fundamental and are not made of anything; they are properties without size [Hesketh]
Relativity and Quantum theory give very different accounts of forces [Hesketh]
Quantum mechanics is our only theory, and is very precise, and repeatedly confirmed [Hesketh]
Physics was rewritten to explain stable electron orbits [Hesketh]
Thermodynamics introduced work and entropy, to understand steam engine efficiency [Hesketh]
Colour charge is positive or negative, and also has red, green or blue direction [Hesketh]
Quarks rush wildly around in protons, restrained by the gluons [Hesketh]
Electrons may have smaller components, bound by a new force [Hesketh]
Virtual particles can't be measured, and can ignore the laws of physics [Hesketh]
Quarks and leptons have a weak charge, for the weak force [Hesketh]
Photons are B and W° bosons, linked by the Higgs mechanism [Hesketh]
'Space' in physics just means location [Hesketh]
Neutrinos only interact with the weak force, but decays produce them in huge numbers [Hesketh]
The universe is 68% dark energy, 27% dark matter, 5% regular matter [Hesketh]
The Standard Model omits gravity, because there are no particles involved [Hesketh]
In Supersymmetry the Standard Model simplifies at high energies [Hesketh]
Standard Model forces are one- two- and three-dimensional [Hesketh]
To combine the forces, they must all be the same strength at some point [Hesketh]
If a cosmic theory relies a great deal on fine-tuning basic values, it is probably wrong [Hesketh]
Spinning electric charge produces magnetism, so all fermions are magnets [Hesketh]