Yukawa Potential

The Yukawa potential describes the force between particles, such as protons and neutrons, mediated by a particle called a meson. Unlike the gravity or electrostatic forces, which act at long distances, the Yukawa potential decreases exponentially with distance, meaning the force is significant only over short ranges. This behavior explains why nuclear forces don’t extend far beyond the atom’s nucleus. Mathematically, it combines exponential decay with an inverse distance term, capturing how the interaction weakens rapidly as particles move apart, reflecting the short-range nature of nuclear interactions.