Can strangelets be detected in a large LAr neutrino detector?

TL;DR

This paper investigates the potential for large liquid argon neutrino detectors to identify strangelets, hypothetical stable quark matter particles, by analyzing ionization and scintillation signals to distinguish light strangelets at intermediate energies.

Contribution

It proposes a novel detection method using calorimetric signals in large liquid argon detectors to identify and discriminate light strangelets, advancing experimental search strategies.

Findings

Calorimetric signals can differentiate strangelets from background.

Large liquid argon detectors are suitable for strangelet detection.

Method enhances sensitivity to intermediate-energy strangelets.

Abstract

Predicted as possible bound states of up, down and strange quarks, strangelets could be more energetically favourable and more stable than nuclear matter. In this paper we explore the possibility of detecting such particles with the future large liquid argon detectors developed for neutrino physics. Using signals from ionization and scintillations we suggest that a calorimetric TCP detector is able to put in evidence and to discriminate between light strangelets at intermediate energy.