The behavior of quarks and gluons inside a proton is governed by the theory of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), which is a fundamental theory describing the strong nuclear force. In QCD, quarks are considered as fundamental particles that carry a color charge (red, green, or blue), and gluons are the force-carrying particles mediating the strong interaction between quarks.
The concept of a proton existing as a wave function traveling at high velocity refers to its quantum mechanical nature. In quantum mechanics, particles can be described by wave functions that evolve over time. When a proton is moving at high velocity, it exhibits wave-like properties described by a wave function.
The strong interaction between quarks and gluons is unique because the strong force becomes stronger as particles move farther apart, unlike the electromagnetic force that weakens with distance. This property of the strong force is known as confinement. It implies that isolated quarks cannot exist freely; they are always bound together within hadrons (such as protons or neutrons). As quarks move apart, the energy stored in the gluon field between them increases. At a certain point, it becomes energetically favorable to produce additional quark-antiquark pairs from the vacuum, forming new hadrons and preventing the separation of individual quarks.
So, even though the proton can be described by a wave function, the strong force between quarks and gluons ensures that they remain bound together and confined within the proton. The high velocity of the proton does not alter the fundamental principles of confinement and the interactions between quarks and gluons.