Strange star surface: a crust with nuggets

Area of Science:

• Astrophysics
• Nuclear Physics
• Particle Physics

Background:

• Strange quark stars are hypothetical compact objects composed of strange quark matter.
• Previous models suggested immense density gradients and electric fields at their surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reexamine the surface composition of strange stars.
• To investigate the implications of a heterogeneous crust model.

Main Methods:

• Modeling a heterogeneous crust with strange quark matter nuggets in an electron background.
• Analyzing the resulting density gradients and electric fields.

Main Results:

• A heterogeneous crust model significantly reduces the surface density gradient.
• The electric field at the surface of the strange star is found to be negligible.

Conclusions:

• The findings challenge the widely accepted characteristics of strange star surfaces.
• Observable signatures for strange stars may need reevaluation based on these results.