GBT14B-284

A Panchromatic Search for Advanced Intelligence around Nearby Stars

Abstract

Our group is undertaking a campaign to search the 21 known northern hemisphere stellar systems (30 total stars) within five parsecs of the Sun in an unprecedented panchromatic SETI experiment spanning the electromagnetic spectrum from 50 MHz to 500 THz, from the plasma frequency ionospheric cutoff through optical light. We are targeting a wide range of possible signal types, including monochromatic, pulsed and broadband cyclostationary emission. We propose to use the GBT to conduct radio observations of these targets between 1.1 and 15.3 GHz. Observations will be performed using the GUPPI back-end in baseband recording mode and will employ a well-tested set of observing procedures and data reduction software built up from previous SETI observations with the GBT. In a 42 hour campaign, we expect to achieve characteristic sensitivities of ~10^-22 erg/s/cm^2, enabling us to detect emissions from extraterrestrial technology an order of magnitude less luminous than the most powerful terrestrial surveillance radars. These observations will be the most sensitive and comprehensive ETI searches of these stars ever performed.

Investigators

Name	Institution
Andrew Siemion *	California at Berkeley, University of; Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy; Nijmegen, Radboud Universiteit
Heino Falcke	Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy; Nijmegen, Radboud Universiteit
Dan Werthimer	California at Berkeley, University of
Frank Drake	SETI Institute
Eric Korpela	California at Berkeley, University of
Ed Wishnow	California at Berkeley, University of
Joeri van Leeuwen	Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Sebastien Lepine	Georgia State University
Ron Maddalena	Green Bank Observatory
Jeff Cobb	California at Berkeley, University of
Mike Garrett	Manchester, University of

* indicates the PI