STRANGE STARS - HOW DENSE CAN THEIR CRUST BE

The strong electric field at the surface of a strange star is discusse d, and a self-consistent model is proposed to calculate its capability of supporting a ''normal'' nuclear material crust. We find that the e lectric field is already not able to support the crust even when the b ottom density of the crust is still considerably lower than the neutro n drip point, which means that it is not the neutron drip effect that limits the maximum crust density of a strange star. The maximum crust density is probably only about 8.3 x 10(10) g cm(-3), so that a typica l strange star (1.4 M.) can not have a crust more massive than similar to 3.4 x 10(-6) M.. Considerable limitations are also presented for s trange dwarfs.