Scientists searching distant solar system for possible alien radio signals
Astronomers did not find signals of alien life – but study helped refine techniques that eventually could
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Scientists have spent 28 hours scanning another star system for hints of alien technology.
They failed to find any, despite undertaking what is the longest search of its kind from the Trappist-1 system. But researchers believe that the work could eventually help us find alien signals in the future.
Trappist-1 is a cool red dwarf star located around 40 light years away. The planets around it are thought to be one of the key places for us to look to find aliens, since there are so many of them and their conditions may be conducive to life.
In an attempt to find radio signals that might indicate such life, researchers spent 28 hours scanning the system with the Allen Telescope Array. They focused on planet-planet occultations, or PPOs, which happen when planets move in front of each other and could be an opportune moment to spot radio signals being sent between the planets.
The team found millions of potential signals, and 11,000 of them were judged good candidates for detailed analysis. Some 2,264 of those signals happened during PPO windows.
But none of the signals were of non-human origin, researchers found.
Still, scientists hope that it is a good test of a system that might one day find alien life. And it will help refine the methods used, as well as narrowing down the focus of where and when to watch for the signals.
“This research shows we are getting closer to detecting radio signals similar to the ones we send into space,” said Nick Tusay, a graduate student research fellow at Penn State University.
“Most searches assume some intent, like beacons, because our receivers have a sensitivity limit to a minimum transmitter power beyond anything we unintentionally send out. But, with better equipment, like the upcoming Square Kilometer Array (SKA), we might soon be able to detect signals from an alien civilization communicating with its spacecraft.”
The work is reported in a paper that has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal and is currently available online in a preprint, titled ‘A Radio Technosignature Search of TRAPPIST-1 with the Allen Telescope Array’.
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