Gravitational wave signals from the collapse of the first stars

We study the gravitational wave emission from the first stars, which are as sumed to be very massive objects (VMOs). We take into account various feedb ack (both radiative and stellar) effects regulating the collapse of objects in the early Universe and thus derive the VMO initial mass function and fo rmation rate. If the final fate of VMOs is to collapse, leaving very massiv e black hole remnants, then the gravitational waves emitted during each col lapse would be seen as a stochastic background. The predicted spectral stra in amplitude in a critical density cold dark matter (CDM) universe peaks in the frequency range nu approximate to 5 x 10(-4)-5 x 10(-3) Hz, where it h as a value in the range approximate to 10(-20)-10(-19) Hz(-1/2), and might be detected by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). The expected emission rate is roughly 4000 event yr(-1), resulting in a stationary discr ete sequence of bursts, i.e. a shot-noise signal.