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

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.