Optical Detection of Lasers with Near-term Technology at Interstellar Distances
© 2018. The American Astronomical Society.. This paper examines the ability to produce a laser beam detectable to a cursory survey (SNR 0.1% with a 1 m receive telescope) by an extraterrestrial intelligence using proven or near-term technology (megawatt-class lasers, telescopes tens of meters in siz...
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| Format: | Article |
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American Astronomical Society
2021
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/135859 |
| _version_ | 1826206565857755136 |
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| author | Clark, James R Cahoy, Kerri |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Clark, James R Cahoy, Kerri |
| author_sort | Clark, James R |
| collection | MIT |
| description | © 2018. The American Astronomical Society.. This paper examines the ability to produce a laser beam detectable to a cursory survey (SNR 0.1% with a 1 m receive telescope) by an extraterrestrial intelligence using proven or near-term technology (megawatt-class lasers, telescopes tens of meters in size). We find that such lasers can produce a signal at ranges of less than 20,000 lt-yr, with a broad enough beam to overcome uncertainties in nearby exoplanet orbits (e.g., Prox Cen b) or encompass entire habitable zones of more distant systems (e.g., TRAPPIST-1). While the probability of closing a handshake with even a nearby extraterrestrial intelligence is low with current survey methodologies, advances in full-sky surveys for SETI and other purposes may reduce the mean-time-to-handshake to decades or centuries, after which these laser systems may close links at data rates of kbps-Mpbs. The next major gap to address for searching for extraterrestrial lasers is in expanding spectral searches into the infrared, where most terrestrial communication and high-power lasers are manufactured. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:34:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/135859 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:34:38Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | American Astronomical Society |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1358592023-02-23T21:01:31Z Optical Detection of Lasers with Near-term Technology at Interstellar Distances Clark, James R Cahoy, Kerri Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics © 2018. The American Astronomical Society.. This paper examines the ability to produce a laser beam detectable to a cursory survey (SNR 0.1% with a 1 m receive telescope) by an extraterrestrial intelligence using proven or near-term technology (megawatt-class lasers, telescopes tens of meters in size). We find that such lasers can produce a signal at ranges of less than 20,000 lt-yr, with a broad enough beam to overcome uncertainties in nearby exoplanet orbits (e.g., Prox Cen b) or encompass entire habitable zones of more distant systems (e.g., TRAPPIST-1). While the probability of closing a handshake with even a nearby extraterrestrial intelligence is low with current survey methodologies, advances in full-sky surveys for SETI and other purposes may reduce the mean-time-to-handshake to decades or centuries, after which these laser systems may close links at data rates of kbps-Mpbs. The next major gap to address for searching for extraterrestrial lasers is in expanding spectral searches into the infrared, where most terrestrial communication and high-power lasers are manufactured. 2021-10-27T20:29:40Z 2021-10-27T20:29:40Z 2018 2019-02-22T14:01:30Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1538-4357 https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/135859 Clark, James R., and Kerri Cahoy. “Optical Detection of Lasers with Near-Term Technology at Interstellar Distances.” The Astrophysical Journal 867, no. 2 (November 5, 2018): 97. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aae380. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aae380 Astrophysical Journal Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 unported license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ application/pdf American Astronomical Society IOP Publishing |
| spellingShingle | Clark, James R Cahoy, Kerri Optical Detection of Lasers with Near-term Technology at Interstellar Distances |
| title | Optical Detection of Lasers with Near-term Technology at Interstellar Distances |
| title_full | Optical Detection of Lasers with Near-term Technology at Interstellar Distances |
| title_fullStr | Optical Detection of Lasers with Near-term Technology at Interstellar Distances |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optical Detection of Lasers with Near-term Technology at Interstellar Distances |
| title_short | Optical Detection of Lasers with Near-term Technology at Interstellar Distances |
| title_sort | optical detection of lasers with near term technology at interstellar distances |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/135859 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT clarkjamesr opticaldetectionoflaserswithneartermtechnologyatinterstellardistances AT cahoykerri opticaldetectionoflaserswithneartermtechnologyatinterstellardistances |