2001A&A...376..381R

The extragalactic background of gravitational waves produced by tri-axial rotating neutron stars was calculated, under the assumption that the properties of the underlying pulsar population are the same of those of the galactic population, recently derived by Regimbau & de Freitas Pacheco (2000A&A...359..242R). For an equatorial ellipticity of ε = 10^–6, the equivalent density parameter due to gravitational waves has a maximum amplitude in the range 2x10^–11-3x10^–9, around 0.9-1.5kHz. The main factors affecting the theoretical predictions are discussed. This background is comparable to that produced by the ``ring-down'' emission from distorted black holes. The detection possibility of this background by a future generation of gravitational antennas is also examined.