Abstract
The semiclassical SU(3) Skyrme model is traditionally considered as describing a rigid quantum rotator with the profile function being fixed by the classical solution of the corresponding SU(2) Skyrme model. In contrast, we go beyond the classical profile function by quantizing the SU(3) Skyrme model canonically. The quantization of the model is performed in terms of the collective coordinate formalism and leads to the establishment of purely quantum corrections of the model. These new corrections are of fundamental importance. They are crucial in obtaining stable quantum solitons of the quantum SU(3) Skyrme model, thus making the model self-consistent and not dependent on the classical solution of the SU(2) case. We show that such a treatment of the model leads to a family of stable quantum solitons that describe the baryon octet and decuplet and reproduce their masses in a qualitative agreement with the empirical values.