Creation of strange-quark-matter droplets as a unique signature for quark-gluon plasma formation in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Journal Article · Mon Oct 31 23:00:00 EST 1988 · Phys. Rev. D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.38.2797· OSTI ID:6737244

Greiner, C; Rischke, D; Stoecker, H; Koch, P

We demonstrate that strangeness separates in the Gibbs-phase coexistence between a baryon-rich quark-gluon plasma and hadron matter, even at T = 0. For finite temperatures this is due to the associated production of kaons (containing s-bar quarks) in the hadron phase while s quarks remain in the deconfined phase. The s-s-bar separation results in a strong enhancement of the s-quark abundance in the quark phase. This mechanism is further supported by cooling and net strangeness enrichment due to the prefreezeout evaporation of pions and K/sup +/, K/sup 0/, which carry away entropy and anti- strangeness from the system. Metastable droplets (i.e., stable as far as weak interactions are not regarded) of strange-quark matter (''strangelets'') can thus be formed during the phase transition. Such cool, compact, long-lived clusters could be experimentally observed by their unusually small Z/A ratio (less than or equal to0.1--0.3). Even if the strange-quark-matter phase is not stable under strong interactions, it should be observable by the delayed correlated emission of several hyperons. This would serve as a unique signature for the transient formation of a quark-gluon plasma.

• Research Organization: Institut fuer Theoretische Physik der J. W. Goethe Universitaet Frankfurt, Postfach 111932, D-6000 Frankfurt am Main 11, Germany
• OSTI ID: 6737244
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. D; (United States) Vol. 38:9; ISSN PRVDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

645204* -- High Energy Physics-- Particle Interactions & Properties-Theoretical-- Strong Interactions & Properties
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BOSONS
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
CORRELATION FUNCTIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
ENTROPY
EVAPORATION MODEL
FUNCTIONS
HADRONS
HEAVY ION REACTIONS
KAONS
KAONS NEUTRAL
KAONS PLUS
LIFETIME
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MESONS
NUCLEAR MODELS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PIONS
PLASMA
POSTULATED PARTICLES
PSEUDOSCALAR MESONS
QUARKS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
STRANGE MESONS
STRANGE PARTICLES
STRANGENESS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES