Force carrier
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In particle physics, the quantum field theory called the Standard Model describes the strong, weak and electromagnetic fundamental forces. In such theories, each type of interaction has a characteristic set of force carrier particles associated with quantum excitation of the force field related to that interaction.
The carrier particles either appear in intermediate stages or are produced during all particle processes involving that type of interaction. Forces between particles can be described in terms of static force fields and exchanges of force carrier particles between the affected particles.
The force carriers of the Standard Model are bosons, known as gauge bosons:
- Gluons mediating the strong interactions
- Photons mediating the electromagnetic interactions
- W and Z bosons mediating the weak interactions
The name for the carrier particle of gravitational interactions is the graviton. The status of this particle is still tentative, because the theory is incomplete and there has been no good experimental evidence that they exist. Gravitons are not considered to be a part of the Standard Model.
In the Standard Model the hypothetical Higgs boson, which is needed to account for the masses of fundamental particles, interacts via the weak interaction and Yukawa interactions but is not a force carrier.