First extragalactic survey of low-frequency technosignatures covers 2,800 galaxies in one search. Credit: SETI Institute
The SETI Institute, the Berkeley SETI Research Center and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research have announced groundbreaking research using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Western Australia.
Led by Dr Chenoa Tremblay of the SETI Institute and Professor Steven Tingay of Curtin University, the study is the first to focus on low frequencies (100 MHz) and search for signs of alien technology in galaxies beyond Earth. This groundbreaking study used the MWA's wide field of view (FOV), allowing the team to cover approximately 2,800 galaxies in a single observation, of which the distances to 1,300 are known.
Typically, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has focused on signals within our own galaxy, but this new approach is looking even further out into the distant galaxy, making it one of the most detailed ways to search for super-civilizations (civilizations more advanced than us).
To send a signal from another galaxy, a civilization would need technology powerful enough to harness the energy of the sun and several stars within the galaxy.
“This study represents a major step forward in efforts to detect signals from advanced extraterrestrial civilizations,” Tremblay said. “MWA's wide field of view and low-frequency range make it an ideal tool for this type of study, and the limits we set will help guide future research.”
Although this initial study did not find a technosignature, it did provide insights that can help focus future searches, highlighting the importance of continuing to search different radio frequencies and leveraging the unique capabilities of telescopes like MWA.
“MWA continues to pioneer new ways to search the universe for evidence of intelligent civilizations and science and technology, while using the same data to study the astrophysics of stars and galaxies. This research is new and novel, but it also paves the way for future observations with even more powerful telescopes,” said Tingay, who is also MWA's director.
This research highlights the importance of international collaboration and the use of advanced technology to improve our understanding of the universe. The SETI Institute works to search for and explore the universe for signs of intelligent life and to advance our knowledge of the universe.
For more information about the SETI Institute's projects, visit www.seti.org.
About the SETI Institute
Founded in 1984, the SETI Institute is a non-profit, multidisciplinary research and education organization whose mission is to lead humanity's quest to understand the origin and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and to share that knowledge with the world. Our research spans the physical and biological sciences and leverages expertise in data analytics, machine learning, and advanced signal detection techniques. The SETI Institute is a prominent research partner of industry, academia, and government agencies, including NASA and NSF.
Extragalactic wide-field survey of technosignatures with the Murchison Wide Field Array, preprint
Astrobiology
