Gluons (from English glue and the suffix -on) are elementary expressions of quark interaction, and are indirectly involved with the binding of protons and neutrons together in atomic nuclei through the strong force. The antiparticle of a gluon is another gluon (see Eight gluon colors below).

In technical terms, they are vector gauge bosons that mediate strong color charge interactions of quarks in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Unlike the electrically neutral photon of quantum electrodynamics (QED), gluons themselves carry color charge and therefore participate in the strong interaction in addition to mediating it, making QCD significantly harder to analyze than QED.

— Wikipedia on Gluon

2011.01.04 Tuesday ACHK