how can you fully resolve the paradox between asymptotic freedom and quark confinement?

Question

If the farther you move a quark from its neighbors, the stronger the attraction becomes, what force accounts for this? And why is the interaction between quarks looser within protons than in neutrons and electrons? How is this all resolved when it is applied to anti-matter? Does quantum chromodynamics fully explain why there are no isolated observable individual quarks?

Answer 1

The strong interaction (strong nuclear force) accounts for this. That explains why isolated quarks are unlikely but doesn't make it impossible. The fact that none have been observed could mean that they are indeed rare or nonexistent, or just that we don't know how to detect them.

We don't have a lot of antimatter to study, but nearly everything we know about matter applies equally to antimatter. See the second reference for some exceptions.

Electrons, like muons and taus, are leptons, which are not composed of quarks.

Work has been done in quantum chromodynamics to try to explain quark confinement. I have not heard of any such work that has succeeded yet.

The neutron is 2 down and 1 up quarks.
The proton is 1 down and 2 up quarks.
If quark interaction is different, should it be surprising?

This is an active field of physics. Much is still not understood.

Answer 2

Looking for a noble prize are you?

Have you ever thought that the spin momenta of the quarks interact differently with the proton and neutron?

As far as asymptotic freedom, possibly inertia is negative inside the nucleus? IOW, quarks have negative mass. Just speculating...what do you think?

Answer 3

An oxymoron is a figure of speech which combnes two normally contradictory terms, such as 'plastic silverware' or 'partly complete'. A paradox is a seemingly contradictory statement whiuch may nevertheless be true. An example (as in 'HMS Pinafore') would be someone who was born on the 29th February, and who had therefore had only 6 birthdays but who was 21 years old. Hope this helps.