the.com/strong force
the universe's clingiest glue, holding quarks together so tight freedom isn't even an option.
means the fundamental force that binds quarks into protons and neutrons and binds those into atomic nuclei.
from identified mid-20th century when physicists needed to explain why nuclei do not fly apart despite protons repelling each other electrically; named simply for being the strongest of the four fundamental forces.
strength ratioabout 137 times stronger than electromagnetism
rangeworks only across a femtometer, then vanishes
confinementquarks can never be isolated alone, ever
carriertransmitted by gluons, appropriately named
for instance
atomic nucleus — holds protons together against their own electric repulsion
neutron stars — residual strong force stabilizes matter under extreme gravity
large hadron collider — cern probes it by smashing protons at 13 TeV