SQM studied in the Field Correlator Method

TL;DR

This paper uses the Field Correlator Method to analyze the stability of strange quark matter, showing its dependence on model parameters and challenging the possibility of absolutely stable strange quark matter.

Contribution

It applies the nonperturbative equation of state from the Field Correlator Method to study strange quark matter stability at zero temperature and density.

Findings

Stability depends strongly on gluon condensate G_2 and potential V_1.

Stability window narrows as V_1 increases, nearly vanishing at V_1=0.5 GeV.

Results do not support stable strange quark matter existence.

Abstract

By using the recent nonperturbative equation of state of the quark gluon plasma derived in the formalism of the Field Correlator Method, we investigate the bulk properties of the strange quark matter in beta-equilibrium and with charge neutrality at T=p=0. The results show that the stability of strange quark matter with respect to $^{56}Fe$ is strongly dependent on the model parameters, namely, the gluon condensate $G_2$ and the q$\bar{\rm q}$ interaction potential $V_1$. A remarkable result is that the width of the stability window decreases as $V_1$ increases, being maximum at $V_1=0$ and nearly zero at $V_1=0.5$ GeV. For $V_1$ in the range $0\leq V_1\leq0.5$ GeV, all values of $G_2$ are lower than $0.006-0.007\;{\rm GeV}^4$ obtained from comparison with lattice results at $T_c\;(\mu=0)\sim170$ MeV. These results do not favor the possibilities for the existence of (either nonnegative or negative) absolutely stable strange quark matter.