  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 perform the first detailed
calculations of the GW emission for a SN Ia of any type within the
single-degenerate channel. The gravitationally-confined detonation (GCD)
mechanism predicts a strongly-polarized GW burst in the frequency band around 1
Hz. Third-generation spaceborne GW observatories currently in planning may be
able to detect this predicted signal from SNe Ia at distances up to 1 Mpc. If
observable, GWs may offer a direct probe into the first few seconds of the SNe
Ia detonation.
