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Abstract

The thermonuclear explosion of a C/O white dwarf as a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) generates a kinetic energy comparable to that released by a massive star during a SN II event. Current observations and theoretical models have established that SNe Ia are asymmetric, and therefore -- like SNe II -- potential sources of gravitational wave (GW) radiation. We establish an upper-bound GW amplitude and expected frequency range based upon the energetics and nucleosynthetic yields of SNe Ia. We perform the first detailed calculations of the gravitationally-confined detonation (GCD) mechanism within the single-degenerate channel of SNe Ia. The GCD mechanism predicts a strongly-polarized GW burst from the SD channel of SNe Ia in the frequency band around 1 Hz. Third-generation spaceborne GW observatories currently in planning, including the Big Bang Observer (BBO), and the Deci-Hertz Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (DECIGO), as well as earthbound instruments, including the Einstein Telescope (ET), may be able to detect the signal predicted by the GCD mechanism from galactic SNe Ia and nearby extragalactic SNe Ia at distances up to 1 Mpc. If observable, GWs may offer a direct probe into the first few seconds of SNe Ia, and yield insights into its underlying detonation mechanism not possible in the optical portion of the spectrum.