# Potential gravitational waves found in galaxy

Astronomers have detected X-ray sources in a galaxy that could eventually produce gravitational waves.

Astronomers have been studying a starburst galaxy to search for X-ray sources, many of which have the potential some day to produce gravitational waves.

Starburst galaxies like IC 10 are galaxies that produce stars at a fantastic rate; so much so that they will probably eventually use up their star-forming fuel before they can create more.

Using the Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers detected 110 X-ray sources in the galaxy, many of which may eventually produce gravitational waves, which are ripples in space-time caused by massive, violent events.

They found over a dozen black holes and neutron stars that are feeding off gas from young, massive companion stars.

These pairs are known as X-ray binaries because they emit so much X-ray light.

As the massive stars orbit their compact black hole or neutron star, material is pulled from the massive star to form a disc of material around the compact object.

As the material falls into the black hole or neutron star, it is heated to millions of degrees, producing the bright X-rays spotted by the astronomers.

When these massive stars fun out of fuel, they collapse and produce an explosion known as a supernova, leaving behind another compact object such as a black hole or neutron star.

If the separation between these two objects – for example a pair of black holes – becomes small enough over time, the forces between them could produce gravitational waves.