Model Dependence of the Stability of Strange Quark Matter

A comparison is made between the predictions of the MIT bag model and the Colour Dielectric Model concerning strange quark matter stability: the minimum energy per baryon number is studied as a function of the strangeness fraction of the system: these curves are compared to the masses of hyperons having the same strangeness fraction, and coherently calculated in the model, and for the same parameter values. The MIT bag model and the Double Minimum version of the Colour Dielectric model allow the existence of strangelets, while the Single Minimum version excludes this possibility.