Impact of Strange Quark Matter Nuggets on Pycnonuclear Reaction Rates in
  the Crusts of Neutron Stars
  This paper presents an investigation into the pycnonuclear reaction rates in
dense crustal matter of neutron stars contaminated with strange quark matter
nuggets. The presence of such nuggets in the crustal matter of neutron stars
would be a natural consequence if Witten's strange quark matter hypothesis is
correct. The methodology presented in this paper is a recreation of a recent
representation of nuclear force interactions embedded within pycnonuclear
reaction processes. The study then extends the methodology to incorporate
distinctive theoretical characteristics of strange quark matter nuggets, like
their low charge-per-baryon ratio, and then assesses their effects on the
pycnonuclear reaction rates. Particular emphasis is put on the impact of color
superconductivity on the reaction rates. Depending on whether or not quark
nuggets are in this novel state of matter, their electric charge properties
vary drastically which turns out to have a dramatic effect on the pycnonuclear
reaction rates. Future nuclear fusion network calculations may thus have the
potential to shed light on the existence of strange quark matter nuggets and on
whether or not they are in a color superconducting state, as suggested by QCD.
