Double Helium-Core White Dwarf Gravitational Wave discovered

In one of its kind experiments, a group of scientists detected the first gravitational wave source. The scientist at the Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian on April 3 disclosed the detection of J2322+0509, a detached binary white dwarf made up of two helium-core stars with a short orbital period. The study was published in the journal, 'Astrophysical Journal Letters'

Theory predicting double helium-core white dwarf

Dr Warren Brown, one of the astronomers and lead author of the study reportedly said that several theories predict many double helium-core white dwarf binaries out. This detection of the gravitational wave source provides an anchor for several models and is also helpful for carrying out future experiments so that the scientists can find more of these stars and determine their true numbers.

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Another co-author of the study, Dr Mukremin Kilic, from the University of Oklahoma said that the star will be used for verification on the much-anticipated LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) gravitational wave observatory which is planned to get launched in 2034. Kilic also added that the verification binaries are important because we know that LISA will see them within a few weeks of turning on the telescopes. 

Before this invention, the scientists also found J2322+0509 a challenge to study, collecting difficult information about the stars that will shape future scientific results through multiple avenues. According to Brown, no outcome was derived from optical light curve studies. The scientist could not detect a photometric signal because there isn’t one. Spectroscopic studies, however, shaped the story of a difficult-to-detect yet scientifically important binary system and revealed its orbital motion.

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The pair of scientists had another surprise in store for the researchers. With an orbital period of 1201 seconds or just over 20 minutes, the duo confirmed having the third shortest period of all known detached binaries. According to Brown, the orbit of the stars is decaying. The gravitational waves that are being emitted are causing the pair of stars to lose energy; in six or seven million years they will merge into a single, more-massive white dwarf. The spectroscopic data for J2322+0509 was collected using the MMT telescope at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Amado, Arizona. 

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