Abstract
We propose using large Air Cerenkov telescopes (ACTs) to search for optical, pulsed signals from extraterrestrial intelligence. Such dishes collect tens of photons from a nanosecond-scale pulse of isotropic equivalent power of tens of solar luminosities at a distance of 100 pc. The field of view for giant ACTs can be on the order of 10 square degrees, and they will be able to monitor 10-100 stars simultaneously for nanosecond pulses of about 6th magnitude or brighter. Using the Earth's diameter as a baseline, orbital motion of the planet could be detected by timing the pulse arrivals.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 489-493 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Astrobiology |
Volume | 1 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Jan 2001 |
Keywords
- Communication
- Instrumentation
- Interstellar
- Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Space and Planetary Science