https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-14944-x
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Modeling anisotropic compact objects in the vanishing complexity regime through gravitational decoupling
1
Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nizwa, P.O. Box 33, 616, Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
2
Department of Physics, Zhejiang Normal University, 321004, Jinhua, People’s Republic of China
3
Research Center of Astrophysics and Cosmology, Khazar University, 41 Mehseti Street, 1096, Baku, Azerbaijan
4
Department of Mathematics, College of Sciences, King Khalid University, 61413, Abha, Saudi Arabia
5
Department of Mathematics, Durban University of Technology, 4000, Durban, South Africa
6
School of Science, Walailak University, 80160, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
7
College of Graduate Studies, Walailak University, 80160, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
8
College of Transportation, Tongji University, 201804, Shanghai, China
a
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Received:
9
August
2025
Accepted:
13
October
2025
Published online:
28
October
2025
In this work, we model static spherically symmetric compact stars within the framework of classical general relativity. In order to obtain exact solutions of the Einstein field equations with non-singular density profile we adopt the generalised Mak–Harko ansatz (Mak and Harko in Chin. J. Astron. Astrophys. 2:248, 2002) and demand that the complexity factor as defined by Herrera for static relativistic spheres (Herrera, Phys. Rev. D 97:044010, 2018) vanishes everywhere inside the self-gravitating object. Exact solutions of the Einstein field equations describing anisotropic fluid spheres are obtained via the gravitational decoupling method. We show that the decoupling constant, central and surface density values play a crucial role in dictating the stability of the stellar structure. The interplay between these factors accounts for mass–radius profiles associated with gravitational wave events such as GW190814 and further predicts stellar masses in the range 2.9 
and 3.4 . Our models are excellent candidates for predicting compact objects such as neutron stars residing in the so-called mass gap associated with binary mergers without invoking exotic matter and modified gravity theories.
© The Author(s) 2025
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Funded by SCOAP3.
