The response of bare strange stars to the energy input onto their surfaces

We study numerically the thermal emission of e(+)e(-) pairs from a bare str ange star heated by energy input onto its surface; heating starts at some m oment and is steady afterward. The thermal luminosity in e(+)e(-) pairs inc reases to some constant value. The rise time and the steady thermal luminos ity are evaluated. Both normal and color superconducting states of the stra nge quark matter are considered. The results are used to test the model of soft gamma-ray repeaters in which the bursting activity is explained by the fast decay of superstrong magnetic fields and the heating of the strange s tar surface. It is shown that the rise times observed in typical bursts may be explained in this model only if the strange quark matter is a supercond uctor with an energy gap of more than 1 MeV.