Strangelets - Strange Quark Matter

Strange quark matter (SQM) or strangelets are strange clusters containing a large number of delocalized quarks , in multiquark droplets. Multiquark states consisting only of u- and d-quarks have masses considerably larger than ordinary nuclei.
Droplets of SQM, which would contain approximately the same amount of u-, d- and s-quarks (strangelets, strange multiquark clusters), might also be denser than ordinary nuclei. They might exist as long-lived exotic isomers of nuclear matter inside strange neutron stars.

Speculations on the stability of strangelets are based on the following observations:

1. The (weak) decay of a s-quark into a d-quark could be suppressed or forbidden because the lowest single particle states are occupied (Pauliblocking, analogous to the MEMO case discussed above).
2. The strange quark mass can be lower than the Fermi energy of the u- or d-quark in such a dense quark droplet. Opening a new flavour degree of freedom therefore tends to lower the Fermi energy and hence also the mass per baryon of the strangelet (see Fig. 17), maybe even below the proton mass.

  Figure : Schematic illustration of the energy levels inside a multiquark bag with two versus three flavours.

• Cold Infinite Quark Matter
• Binding Energy per Baryon
• Equations of State of Infinite Strangelets