The strong nuclear force, also known as the strong interaction, is mediated by the exchange of particles called gluons. Gluons are massless particles that carry the color charge, which is a fundamental property associated with the strong force.
The strong nuclear force binds quarks together inside protons and neutrons, forming the nucleus of an atom. It is responsible for holding the nucleus together despite the repulsive electromagnetic forces between protons. The strong force also governs the interactions between other particles that carry the color charge, such as other types of hadrons (particles composed of quarks) and certain types of mesons.
Gluons themselves carry the color charge and can interact with quarks and other gluons. They are unique among the fundamental particles because they can interact with each other, leading to the phenomenon known as "color confinement." Color confinement means that individual quarks cannot be observed in isolation because the strong force becomes stronger as quarks are pulled apart, leading to the creation of new quark-antiquark pairs.
The exchange of gluons between quarks and other gluons is what mediates the strong nuclear force and is responsible for its fundamental interactions and properties.