The Hypothesis of Strangelets in the Cosmic Rays

Abstract

The experimental confirmation of the presence of a penetrating component in cosmic rays is presented. Unlike previous experiments, it is shown that the component is not born in the lead of the detectors, but is present in the primary radiation. In this case, the particles forming the penetrating component must be stable. Among the nuclear-active particles, there are only two stable variants. These are nuclei, among which the most penetrating are protons, and hypothetical particles of strange quark matter—strangelets (quasi-nuclei). The analysis of the muon component is not consistent with the proton variant.