Strangelet

A strangelet (pronounced /ˈstrn.lɪt/) is a hypothetical particle consisting of a bound state of roughly equal numbers of up, down, and strange quarks. An equivalent description is that a strangelet is a small fragment of strange matter, small enough to be considered a particle. The size of an object composed of strange matter could, theoretically, range from a few femtometers across (with the mass of a light nucleus) to arbitrarily large. Once the size becomes macroscopic (on the order of metres across), such an object is usually called a strange star. The term "strangelet" originates with Edward Farhi and Robert Jaffe in 1984. It has been theorized that strangelets can convert matter to strange matter on contact.[1] Strangelets have also been suggested as a dark matter candidate.[2]

  1. ^ Farhi, Edward; Jaffe, R. L. (1984). "Strange matter". Physical Review D. 30 (11): 2379–2390. Bibcode:1984PhRvD..30.2379F. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.30.2379.
  2. ^ Witten, Edward (1984). "Cosmic separation of phases". Physical Review D. 30 (2): 272–285. Bibcode:1984PhRvD..30..272W. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.30.272.