Searching for technosignatures from intelligent life in the cosmos

In a universe that stretches beyond the farthest horizons of our imagination, the question persists: are we alone? Scientists from Trinity College Dublin are spearheading a monumental project to answer this question. Their new initiative scours the cosmos for “technosignatures,” or indicators of technology used by alien species.

Probing the cosmos for technosignatures

Professor Evan Keane, Associate Professor of Radio Astronomy at Trinity’s School of Physics and the project’s lead, is navigating uncharted celestial territories. The team is utilizing the Irish Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope, along with its Swedish counterpart. They are utilizing a novel approach that amplifies the search capacity exponentially, monitoring millions of star systems that may harbor life-sustaining environments.

For over six decades, the scientific community has been on a relentless quest to intercept extraterrestrial communications through radio signals. However, traditional methodologies, largely reliant on single observatories, have faced significant limitations. Earth’s own cacophony of radio interference often muddles potential signals from deep space. This interference has prompted the need for a more refined technique.

Breaking through the noise

This venture, a collaboration between Trinity College Dublin, the Breakthrough Listen initiative, and Onsala Space Observatory, marks a paradigm shift in extraterrestrial intelligence research. By employing a network of telescopes, the team can explore the vastly under-examined lower radio frequencies. These fall between 110 — 190 MHz, and were previously inaccessible due to technological constraints.

The Breakthrough Listen program, lauded for its comprehensive approach to the search for advanced extraterrestrial life, has been instrumental in this project. It leverages the LOFAR stations in Ireland and Sweden, minimizing the probability of “false positive” signals.

Unfortunately, false positives are commonplace due to terrestrial radio interference. However, this innovative method elevates the precision and reliability of the search, filtering out Earth’s radio ‘clutter’ and honing in on potential alien broadcasts.

Cosmic needle in a haystack

The project’s initial phase encompassed an extensive sweep of 1.6 million star systems. These systems were identified by the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission and NASA’s TESS mission as potential hotspots for extraterrestrial activity. While these preliminary scans haven’t identified clear technosignatures, the team emphasizes that the search is in its infancy.

Professor Keane reflects on the profound implications of their work. He stated, “The conditions for life, perplexingly common, suggest a universe brimming with possibilities. The sheer commonality of life’s prerequisites compels us to seek our cosmic counterparts.”

He further illustrates the rationale behind their radio-focused strategy, grounded in the assumption that extraterrestrial beings might use technologies akin to ours. “Radio frequencies,” Professor Keane explains, “emerge as a logical choice for interstellar communication, considering our reliance on similar technologies.”

Pushing boundaries for technosignatures

Owen Johnson, a pioneering PhD candidate at Trinity, expresses the exhilaration of venturing into the unknown. “This survey isn’t just about finding other civilizations,” Johnson explains. “It’s about stretching the capabilities of our technology, potentially leading to discoveries that we can’t even predict.”

The team anticipates significant advancements on the horizon, with planned upgrades to the LOFAR network that will expand the accessible radio spectrum for the search. Future explorations will harness machine learning for data analysis. This approach could delve into billions of star systems, a process Johnson finds fascinatingly ironic. He said, “It’s a curious thought that we might ultimately rely on artificial intelligence — our own creation — to discover other life in the universe.”

As humanity stands on the cusp of potential interstellar connection, this research not only signifies a leap in our quest to understand our place in the cosmos but also underscores an eternal curiosity that propels us into the stars. The universe awaits, vast and teeming with unanswered questions. Perhaps, through endeavors like these, we inch ever closer to discovering our place within it.

The full study was published in the Astronomical Journal.

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