We propose a form of gravity-matter interaction given by $\omega RT$ in the framework of $f(R,T)$ gravity and examine the effect of such interaction in spherically symmetric compact stars. Treating the gravity-matter coupling as a perturbative term on the background of Starobinsky gravity, we develop a perturbation theory for equilibrium configurations. For illustration, we take the case of quark stars and explore their various stellar properties. We find that the gravity-matter coupling causes an increase in the stable maximal mass which is relevant for recent observations on binary pulsars.
Categories: gr-qc astro-ph.CO astro-ph.HE