Natural Science Forum / Physics / Particle Physics / August 2005

Could someone in this group explain how the strong nuclear force works.

I understand that the strong nuclear force is the force that holds the
nucleus together, and that at very short distances it is stronger than
the electro static force.

What I can not understand is, why neutrons don't cluster together as a
result of the strong force.

Why don't we see clusters of neutrons of all sizes?

It seems that neutrons exist as either single neutrons or neutron
stars..., what happened to the clusters of 2, 3, or even 10 neutrons.

I gather that there is a simple answer to this question, I have just
never come across it.

Steven