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Appendix
The photon is the elementary particle associated
with electromagnetic interaction.
It has zero electric charge and no mass, which means
that this interaction has an infinite range.
2. Gravitational force (weakest of the 4 forces)
Earth’s pull, movement of the stars, tides…
Note that in the context of the theory of general
relativity, this is not a force, but the result of the
bending of space-time.
In nuclei: nuclear forces
3. Strong interaction
In the nucleus, protons and neutrons are bound
together by gluons.
4. Weak interaction
On β- (beta) decay, emission of an electron.
Unification of the 4 forces
The aim of the research is to find a theory that would
simultaneously explain the four fundamental interactions.
The unification of the four fundamental interactions is one
of the main lines of research in particle physics. The first
step was taken some thirty years ago with the unification of
the weak interaction and the electromagnetic force within a
single framework: the electroweak interaction.
It occurs at high energies - around 100 GeV.
The next logical step in this process is to add the strong
interaction. But, if there is convergence, it should only
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