A search for stable strange quark matter nuggets in helium
Abstract
A search for stable strange quark nuggets has been conducted in helium and argon using a high sensitivity mass spectrometer. The search was guided by a mass formula for strange quark nuggets which suggested that stable strange helium might exist at a mass around 65 u. The chemical similarity of such ``strangelets'' to noble gas atoms and the gravitational unboundedness of normal helium result in a large enhancement in the sensitivity of such a search. An abundance limit of no more than strangelets per normal nucleus is imposed by our search over a mass region from 42 to 82 u, with much more stringent limits at most (non-integer) masses.
Cite
@article{arxiv.nucl-ex/9510003,
title = {A search for stable strange quark matter nuggets in helium},
author = {J. Vandegriff and G. Raimann and R. N. Boyd and M. Caffee and B. Ruiz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:nucl-ex/9510003},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
11 pages RevTeX, Accepted for publication in Physics Letters B. 2 updated references added. Air abundance to cosmic abundance ratios now reflect updated references. No change in results or figures. Also see ftp://www-physics.mps.ohio-state.edu/pub/nucex/sqm