The nuclear matter stability in a non-local chiral quark model

We study the stability of the nuclear matter in a non-local Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. We work out the equation of state in a relativistic Faddeev approach where we take into account the internal structure of nucleon. We show that the binding energy saturates when the nucleon as a composite particle made of quarks is incorporated. After truncation of the two-body channels to the scalar and axial-vector diquarks, a relativistic Faddeev equation for nucleon bound states in medium is solved in the covariant diquark-quark picture. We investigate the nucleon properties in the nuclear medium such as the role of diquarks within the nucleon and the in-medium modification of the nucleon mass and size. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.