Signals from exotic new stars could hide in gravitational wave data

Gravitational wave signals that seem to emanate from black hole collisions may actually come from the clashes of odd, exotic stars – which have been theorised but may or may not exist. If they do, then physicists will have to rethink their standard theories of gravity and particles.

For almost 60 years, researchers have been thinking up cosmic objects that may be possible if there is more to gravity than is suggested by Albert Einstein’s…