The above picture shows the Crab nebula in three different wavelengths
(the first three panels): visible (Courtesy ESO),
ultraviolet (Courtesy NASA),
and X-ray (Courtesy NASA).
Located somewhat below the centre of the last image, is a Pulsar: a rotating
neutron star functioning like a lighthouse (fourth image in the panel above
- an artist's impression: courtesy NASA),
and flashing roughly three times a second.
Rotating and accreting strange
stars
Observations of neutron star candidates, using data from
Chandra and Rossi X--ray Timing Explorer and theoretical models of astrophysical
process imply that some of these sources may be made up of softer matter
than neutron matter. One of the candidate matter so proposed is Strange
Quark Matter. The stars made up of strange quark matter are called Strange
Stars. In order that the existence of such objects may be established
- especially from future observations, we compute the structure of these
stars in rapid and rigid rotation in general relativity and compare the
key parameters so obtained with those for neutron stars.
