Strange quark matter fragmentation in astrophysical events

TL;DR

This paper investigates how strange quark matter fragments during astrophysical events, using a statistical model to predict the distribution of strangelets and assess their potential detection in cosmic rays.

Contribution

It applies the statistical multifragmentation model to strange quark matter, providing new insights into its fragmentation process in astrophysical phenomena.

Findings

Predicted strangelet mass distribution using the statistical model

Identified caveats affecting fragmentation outcomes

Discussed potential contamination in cosmic ray flux

Abstract

The conjecture of Bodmer-Witten-Terazawa suggesting a form of quark matter (Strange Quark Matter) as the ground state of hadronic interactions has been studied in laboratory and astrophysical contexts by a large number of authors. If strange stars exist, some violent events involving these compact objects, such as mergers and even their formation process, might eject some strange matter into the interstellar medium that could be detected as a trace signal in the cosmic ray flux. To evaluate this possibility, it is necessary to understand how this matter in bulk would fragment in the form of strangelets (small lumps of strange quark matter in which finite effects become important). We calculate the mass distribution outcome using the statistical multifragmentation model and point out several caveats affecting it. In particular, the possibility that strangelets fragmentation will render a tiny fraction of contamination in the cosmic ray flux is discussed.