Technology
They scanned the system for using the Allen Telescope Array but failed to locate any
(Web Desk) – Scientists recently peeked into another solar system in the hope of searching for alien technology.
They scanned the system for 28 hours using the Allen Telescope Array but failed to locate any. However, they are confident that in the coming years aliens will be caught sending out signals to each other.
The Trappist-1 system has been touted as one of the most promising places to look for alien life. It is a cool red dwarf star located around 40 light years away.
Several planets orbit the star and scientists believe that conditions might be ripe for life in them.
After conducting the longest search of the Trappist-1 system, they didn’t get the desired results. However, scientists are confident that the work will lead to the detection of alien signals in the future.
The research has been mentioned in a paper that has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. It is currently available online in a preprint, titled ‘A Radio Technosignature Search of TRAPPIST-1 with the Allen Telescope Array’.
During the 28-hour search, they focused on planet-planet occultations, or PPOs, which happen when planets move in front of each other. Scientists were hoping that when this occurs, radio signals were likely being sent between the planets and so thought of capturing them.
They did find some signals, but none that were of non-human origin. Millions of potential signals were traced and 11,000 of them were seen as promising for a detailed analysis. Around 2,264 of those signals happened during PPO windows.
Even though no desired signals were located, scientists are aiming to fine-tune the methods to narrow down the focus area and the timing to find alien life one day.
Nick Tusay, a graduate student research fellow at Penn State University, said that the research shows “we are getting closer to detecting radio signals similar to the ones we send into space”.
“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,” he added.
He is confident that newer equipment, such as the upcoming Square Kilometre Array (SKA), will be able to “detect signals from an alien civilization communicating with its spacecraft”.
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