gluon

[ gloo-on ]

noun

, Physics.

1. an unobserved massless particle with spin 1 that is believed to transmit the strong force between quarks, binding them together into baryons and mesons.

gluon

/ ˈɡluːɒn /

noun

1. a hypothetical particle believed to be exchanged between quarks in order to bind them together to form particles

gluon

/ glo̅o̅′ŏn /

1. The subatomic particle that mediates the strong force . The exchange of gluons between two quarks changes the color of the quarks and results in the attractive force holding them together in hadrons. Gluons are bosons .
2. See Table at subatomic particle

Word History and Origins

Origin of gluon¹

First recorded in 1970–75; glue + -on ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of gluon¹

C20: from glue + -on

Example Sentences

Quarks and gluons are the fundamental building blocks of protons and neutrons -- elementary particles that combined to forge the basic elements of the periodic table.

From Science Daily

The last bit of spin is thought to come from the movements of the proton's quarks and gluons.

From Science Daily

This is a plasma "soup" of quarks and gluons that have been set free, or "deconfined," from nuclear matter -- protons and neutrons -- in the particle collisions.

From Science Daily

The electromagnetic force is conveyed by the photon, the strong force by the gluon, and the weak force by particles called the W boson and Z boson.

From Science Magazine

"Their constituent quarks and gluons are instead liberated from their typical color confinement and are allowed to move almost freely," explains Aleksi Vuorinen, professor of theoretical particle physics at the University of Helsinki.

From Science Daily