The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) is processing a large dataset that can scan hundreds of thousands of stars simultaneously in its quest for extraterrestrial technical signals.
Recently, SETI has conducted a significant upgrade that allows it to scan approximately 80% of the night sky from a declination of -40 degrees to the zenith (the point in the sky directly above the observer) in its search for extraterrestrial technical signals, reported Interesting Engineering on January 14.
Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico. (Photo: NRAO).
A new collaborative project between SETI, Breakthrough Listen, and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory called COSMIC (Commensal Open-Source Multimode Interferometer Cluster) is operational at the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico. According to Space, COSMIC can utilize the results from the VLA Sky Survey (VLASS). VLASS began its third observation cycle in January 2023, collecting raw data using a 27-dish radio telescope array. COSMIC receives copies of the data before VLA processes it, allowing SETI scientists to analyze the data in real-time.
The COSMIC system is also designed with future upgrades in mind, ensuring it remains at the forefront of SETI’s experiments. A potential upgrade could increase the number of observable targets simultaneously. Additionally, experts may apply machine learning algorithms to analyze data more efficiently. The system’s design is highly flexible and can be used for various scientific purposes, such as studying the structure of radio wave bursts and searching for axion dark matter.
“Currently, the focus is on creating one of the largest technical signal surveys with over 500,000 observable sources in the first six months,” said Chenoa Tremblay, a scientist on the COSMIC project and an astronomer at the SETI Institute. COSMIC can scan radio sources in the universe at a rate of 2,000 sources per hour.
Technical signals are evidence of advanced technology usage outside the Solar System, potentially revealing the existence of extraterrestrials. These signals can include radio waves, light, lasers, or chemical components in atmospheres. In the case of SETI, they routinely scan the sky for signs in the range of 0.75 to 50 gigahertz (GHz).
This frequency range is chosen for several key reasons. First, frequencies below 0.75 GHz are often used by human telecommunications technology, creating “noise.” Other reasons include the relative transparency of the Earth’s atmosphere to radio waves at such frequencies. This range also includes microwave frequencies that indicate the presence of neutral hydrogen (1.42 GHz) and hydroxyl molecules (1.72 GHz), which may reveal signs of water.
