Triple top baryon $Ω_{ttt}$

Abstract

The recent observation of toponium by CMS and ATLAS has renewed interest in top quark bound states. In this work, we present an exploratory but quantitative study of the hypothetical triple-top baryon, denoted as $Ω_{ttt}$, the only baryon that is governed by ultraviolet freedom. Using a variational method with an effective potential of $ttt$ that includes QCD, Higgs, and QED contributions, we estimate its mass to be around 514 GeV with a binding energy of about 4 GeV. We further discuss its possible production at future high-energy colliders, finding that the cross sections are extremely suppressed. The dominant weak decay channel is identified as $Ω_{ttt}\to W^+W^+W^+bbb$, leading to complex multi-lepton and multi-jet final states. Our analysis, though approximate, demonstrates the distinctive features of $Ω_{ttt}$ compared with other triply-heavy baryons such as $Ω_{ccc}$ and $Ω_{bbb}$, and may serve as a starting point for more refined approaches, including lattice QCD or effective field theory. This work highlights both the theoretical challenges and the potential opportunities in probing the strong interaction at unprecedented mass scales.