We discuss the stability of strangelets by considering dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and confinement. We use a $U(3{)}_L\times U(3{)}_R$ symmetric Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model for chiral symmetry breaking supplemented by a boundary condition for confinement. It is shown that strangelets (finite number of strange quarks) with baryon number $A\lesssim {10}^3$ is the lowest quark droplets. For the observables, we obtain the masses and the charge-to-baryon number ratios of the strangelets. These quantities are compared with the observed data of the exotic particles.

• Received 1 November 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.71.074009