A strange star model for GRO J1744-28

Abstract

A model is suggested for the bursting x-ray pulsar, GRO J1744-28, where the compact object of the pulsar is proposed to be a strange matter star with crusts. It is suggested that two envelope crusts shield the two polar caps of an accreting strange stars owing to strong polar-cap magnetic fields. GRO J1744-28 might not have a unified crust, but two polar crusts. Bursts are the result of phase transition of polar crusts if one accreting crust is heavier than that the Coulomb force can support. It is shown that there should be phase-lags when bursting crust is expanded about one hundred meters. Many calculated properties of this model, such as the phase-lags, the bursting luminosity and the characteristic photon energy, are in agreement with observations.