Gluons are the carriers of the strong nuclear force, which is responsible for holding quarks together within hadrons, such as protons and neutrons. When quarks interact with gluons, the gluons can mediate both attractive and repulsive forces between the quarks.
In the context of the strong force, the interaction between quarks and gluons is described by quantum chromodynamics (QCD), which is the theory that governs the strong nuclear force. The interaction is quite complex and involves the exchange of gluons between quarks.
When a quark emits or absorbs a gluon, the exchange of momentum and energy takes place. The gluon can carry both color charge and momentum, and the exchange of these properties leads to a force between the quarks involved. The force can be attractive or repulsive, depending on the color charge and the specific interaction.
It's important to note that the strong force is a non-Abelian gauge theory, meaning that it has more complex mathematical structure compared to the electromagnetic force, which is an Abelian gauge theory. In non-Abelian gauge theories like QCD, the forces between quarks and gluons can involve both the strength of the force and the direction in the abstract mathematical space known as color space.
In summary, when quarks interact with gluons, the forces between them can be both attractive and repulsive. The precise nature and strength of these forces depend on the color charge and the specific interaction involved, as described by the theory of quantum chromodynamics.