https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-15893-9
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Dark matter effects on the properties of quark stars and the implications for the peculiar objects
1
The Research Center for Theoretical Physics, Science School, Qingdao University of Technology, 266033, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China
2
School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Cooperative Innovation Center for Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technology and Equipment, University of South China, 421001, Hengyang, People’s Republic of China
3
Institute of Modern Physics, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Ion-Beam Application, MOE, Fudan University, 200433, Shanghai, China
a
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Received:
3
October
2025
Accepted:
25
May
2026
Published online:
14
June
2026
Abstract
We systematically investigate the observable properties and stellar configurations of dark matter (DM)-admixed quark stars (DQSs) by combining the confined-isospin-density-dependent-mass (CIDDM) model with the generic bosonic self-interacting DM model. Currently, the DM particles mass remains undetermined, we find that heavier DM particles lead to a softer equation of state (EOS) for pure dark star, a higher adiabatic index and a lower speed of sound, resulting in a reduced maximum gravitational mass. Meanwhile, our results show that both the DM particles mass and DM fraction significantly affect the properties of quark stars including the mass, radius, tidal deformability and the types of stellar configurations. For lighter DM particles, DQSs tend to form DM-halo configurations, whereas for heavier particles, DM-core configurations become dominant. Moreover, within the CIDDM framework, we explore whether two recently observed peculiar objects, HESS J1731-347 and the secondary component of PSR J0514-4002E, could be DQSs, and identify the allowed DM parameter space compatible with their observational data and the corresponding stellar configurations. Our findings suggest that DQSs remain viable candidates for explaining certain compact astrophysical objects and may offer valuable insights into the DM nature.
© The Author(s) 2026
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Funded by SCOAP3.
