Rates are calculated for the processes $\mathrm{gg}\to s\overline{s}$ and $u\overline{u}$,$d\overline{d}\to s\overline{s}$ in highly excited quarkgluon plasma. For temperature $T>~160$ MeV the strangeness abundance saturates during the lifetime (∼${10}^{-23\mathrm{}}$ sec) of the plasma created in high-energy nuclear collisions. The chemical equilibration time for gluons and light quarks is found to be less than ${10}^{-24\mathrm{}}$ sec.

• Received 11 January 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.48.1066