Editing Zero-point energy (section)

=== Quantum chromodynamic vacuum ===
{{Main|QCD vacuum}}

The QCD vacuum is the vacuum state of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). It is an example of a ''[[non-perturbative]]'' vacuum state, characterized by a non-vanishing [[condensate (quantum field theory)|condensate]]s such as the [[gluon condensate]] and the [[quark condensate]] in the complete theory which includes quarks. The presence of these condensates characterizes the confined phase of [[quark matter]]. In technical terms, gluons are [[Vector boson|vector]] [[gauge boson]]s that mediate [[strong interaction]]s of quarks in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Gluons themselves carry the color charge of the strong interaction. This is unlike the photon, which mediates the [[Electromagnetic force|electromagnetic interaction]] but lacks an electric charge. Gluons therefore participate in the strong interaction in addition to mediating it, making QCD significantly harder to analyze than QED (quantum electrodynamics) as it deals with [[nonlinear equation]]s to characterize such interactions.