thumb|Concept of a neutron star vs a strange-quark star
A strange star, also called a strange quark star, is a hypothetical compact astronomical object, a quark star made of strange quark matter. This is thought to result in a massive release of magnetic energy as well as electron-positron pairs in the initial phases of the collapsing stage. This release of high-energy particles and magnetic energy in such a short period of time causes the newly released electron-positron pairs to be directed towards the poles of the strange star due to the increased magnetic energy created by the initial secretion of the strange star's matter. Once these electron-positron pairs are directed to the star's poles, they are then ejected at relativistic velocities, which is proposed to be one of the causes of fast radio bursts.
Primordial strange stars
Theoretical investigations have revealed that quark stars might not only be produced from neutron stars and powerful supernovae, they could also be created in the early cosmic phase separations following the Big Bang, similar to hypothetical primordial black holes. A survey examined the mass–radius relation for 40,000 white dwarfs and found eight exceptions were much smaller in size and matched predictions for a strange dwarf.
See also
- Stellar classification
- Exotic star
References
Further reading
- – Original scientific paper source
- – Simpler breakdown of said scientific paper.