Search for extraterrestrial intelligence with ATA Virtual Observatory Resource

Authors
  1. Harp G.R.
  2. Ackermann R.F.
  3. Astorga A.
  4. Arbunich J.
  5. Barrios J.,Hightower K.
  6. Meitzner S.
  7. Barott W.C.
  8. Nolan M.C.
  9. Messerschmitt D.G.,Vakoch D.A.
  10. Shostak S.
  11. Tarter J.C.
  12. Published by
    CDS
Abstract

We report a novel radio autocorrelation search for extraterrestrial intelligence. For selected frequencies across the terrestrial microwave window (1-10GHz), observations were conducted at the Allen Telescope Array to identify artificial non-sinusoidal periodic signals with radio bandwidths greater than 4Hz, which are capable of carrying substantial messages with symbol rates from 4 to 10^6^Hz. Out of 243 observations, about half (101) were directed toward sources with known continuum flux >~1Jy over the sampled bandwidth (quasars, pulsars, supernova remnants, and masers), based on the hypothesis that they might harbor heretofore undiscovered natural or artificial repetitive, phase or frequency modulation. The rest of the observations were directed mostly toward exoplanet stars with no previously discovered continuum flux. No signals attributable to extraterrestrial technology were found in this study. We conclude that the maximum probability that future observations like the ones described here will reveal repetitively modulated emissions is less than 5% for continuum sources and exoplanets alike. The paper concludes by describing a new approach to expanding this survey to many more targets and much greater sensitivity using archived data from interferometers all over the world.

Keywords
  1. Interferometry
  2. Radio astronomy
  3. Exoplanets
  4. Quasars
  5. BL Lacertae objects
  6. Astrophysical masers
  7. Supernova remnants
  8. Solar system
  9. O stars
  10. The Sun
Bibliographic source Bibcode
2018ApJ...869...66H
See also HTML
https://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/ApJ/869/66
IVOA Identifier IVOID
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/869/66
Document Object Identifer DOI
doi:10.26093/cds/vizier.18690066

Access

Web browser access HTML
http://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/ApJ/869/66
https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/ApJ/869/66
http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/ApJ/869/66
IVOA Table Access TAP
http://tapvizier.cds.unistra.fr/TAPVizieR/tap
Run SQL-like queries with TAP-enabled clients (e.g., TOPCAT).
IVOA Cone Search SCS
For use with a cone search client (e.g., TOPCAT).
http://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/869/66/table3?
https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/869/66/table3?
http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/869/66/table3?

History

2019-12-30T09:45:35Z
Resource record created
2019-12-30T09:45:35Z
Created
2020-08-03T06:18:24Z
Updated

Contact

Name
CDS support team
Postal Address
CDS, Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l'Universite, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
E-Mail
cds-question@unistra.fr