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Gravitational Radiation from Pulsating White Dwarfs

M. Benacquista, D. Sedrakian, M. Hairapetyan, K. Shahabasyan, A. Sadoyan

astro-pharXiv:astro-ph/0308082

Abstract

Rotating white dwarfs undergoing quasi-radial oscillations can emit gravitational radiation in a frequency range from 0.1 - 0.3 Hz. Assuming that the energy source for the gravitational radiation comes from the oblateness of the white dwarf induced by the rotation, the strain amplitude is found to be 10-27 for a white dwarf at 50 pc. The galactic population of these sources is estimated to be 107, and may produce a confusion limited foreground for proposed advanced detectors in the frequency band between space-based and ground-based interferometers. Nearby oscillating white dwarfs may provide a clear enough signal to investigate white dwarf interiors through gravitational wave asteroseismology.

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