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The SETI Ellipsoid strategy is predicated on the hypothesis that extraterrestrial civilizations, upon observing significant galactic events such as supernova 1987A, might use these occurrences as focal points to emit synchronized signals to announce their presence. This approach allows for the strategic selection of potential technosignature candidates, leveraging continuous, wide-field sky surveys to significantly enhance our detection capabilities.
By compensating for the timing uncertainties associated with the arrival of such signals, which can span up to a year, the research team has employed state-of-the-art technology in an innovative manner.
"New surveys of the sky provide groundbreaking opportunities to search for technosignatures coordinated with supernovae," explained co-author Barbara Cabrales. She emphasizes the importance of covering bases by finding well-documented targets over the course of about a year and obtaining as many observations as possible for each target to differentiate between normal behavior and potential technosignatures.
The researchers focused on data from the TESS continuous viewing zone, analyzing 5% of all TESS data from the first three years of its mission. With the help of advanced 3D location data from Gaia Early Data Release 3, the team identified 32 prime targets within the SETI Ellipsoid in the southern TESS continuous viewing zone, all with uncertainties refined to better than 0.5 light-years.
Although the initial examination of TESS light curves during the Ellipsoid crossing event revealed no anomalies, this initiative lays the groundwork for expanding the search to other surveys, a broader array of targets, and exploring diverse potential signal types.
This study signifies a monumental step forward in the search for technosignatures, demonstrating the feasibility of utilizing Gaia's precise distance estimates to enhance monitoring and anomaly detection capabilities in SETI research. The SETI Ellipsoid method, coupled with Gaia's distance measurements, offers a robust and adaptable framework for future SETI searches. Researchers can retrospectively apply it to sift through archival data for potential signals, proactively select targets, and schedule future monitoring campaigns.
Dr. Sofia Sheikh, a co-author of the study, highlights the complexity of SETI searches, comparing it to looking for a needle in a 9-D haystack. "Any technique that can help us prioritize where to look, such as the SETI Ellipsoid, could potentially give us a shortcut to the most promising parts of the haystack," she stated. This work marks the first step in searching those newly-highlighted parts of parameter space and sets an exciting precedent for upcoming large survey projects like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST).
Research Report:Searching the SN 1987A SETI Ellipsoid with TESS
Related Links
SETI Institute
Lands Beyond Beyond - extra solar planets - news and science
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