Abstract

We apply the chiral SU(3) quark mean field model to investigate strange quark matter. The stability of strange quark matter with a different strangeness fraction is studied. The interaction between quarks and vector mesons destabilizes the strange quark matter. If the strength of the vector coupling is the same as in hadronic matter, strangelets cannot be formed. For the case of beta equilibrium, there is no strange quark matter that can be stable against hadron emission even without vector meson interactions.