Oscillating Strange Quark Matter Objects Excited in Stellar Systems

Abstract

It is shown that strange quark matter (SQM) objects, stars and planets, can very efficiently convert the mechanical energy into hadronic energy when they oscillate. This is because the mass density at the edge of SQM objects, ρ0=4.7×10 14 g cm 3 , is the critical density below which strange quark matter is unstable with respect to decay into photons, leptons. We consider here radial oscillations of SQM objects that could be induced in stellar or planetary systems where tidal interactions are ubiquitous. Already oscillations of 0.1% radius amplitude result in 1 keV per unit baryon number excitation near the surface of SQM stars. The excitation energy is converted into electromagnetic energy in a short time of 1 msec, during a few oscillations. Higher amplitude oscillations result in faster energy release that could lead to fragmentation or dissolution of SQM stars. This would have significant consequences for hypothetical SQM star binaries and planetary systems of SQM planets with regard to gravitational wave emission.