The Physics of Confinement
Why does the nucleus stay together? In Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), we define the "Strong Force" as the interaction between color-charged particles (quarks) mediated by gluons.
The Flux-Tube Hypothesis
Unlike gravity or electromagnetism, the Strong Force does not get weaker with distance. Instead, gluons form flux tubes (the "baseball seams") that pull quarks back together with increasing force as they separate. This is why we never see a "free" quark in nature.
Standard Model Limitations
- Mass Hierarchy: It cannot explain why the Top Quark is so much heavier than the Up Quark.
- Gravity Gap: The Standard Model completely ignores General Relativity, leaving a massive hole in our understanding of the early universe.
- Dark Matter: 95% of the universe is missing from our current equations.
Videos curated from Fermilab and CERN research archives.
Simulation Gateways
Select a module to begin $SU(3)$ Lattice computations.