While UFOs are attacking the US fleet, S.E.T.I is looking for aliens
COSMIC SETI (the Commensal Open-Source Multimode Interferometer
Cluster Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) took a big step towards
using the National Science Foundation's Karl G. Jansky Very Large
Array (VLA) for 24/7 SETI observations (
https://bit.ly/3uYM3H9).
Fiber optic amplifiers and splitters are now installed for all 27 VLA
antennas, giving COSMIC access to a complete and independent copy
of the data streams from the entire VLA. In addition, the COSMIC
system has used these links to successfully acquire VLA data, and the
primary focus now is on developing the high-performance GPU
(Graphical Processing Unit) code for analyzing data for the possible
presence of technosignatures.
COSMIC is a collaboration between the SETI Institute and the National
Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), which operates the VLA, to
bring a state-of-the-art search for extraterrestrial intelligence to the
VLA for the first time. As the VLA conducts observations, COSMIC
will enable SETI Institute scientists to access that data to analyze
for evidence of technosignatures, signs of technology not caused by
natural phenomena.
"Having all the VLA digital signals available to the COSMIC system
is a major milestone, involving close collaboration with the NRAO
VLA engineering team to ensure that the addition of the COSMIC
hardware doesn't in any way adversely affect existing VLA
infrastructure," said Jack Hickish, Digital Instrumentation Lead for
COSMIC at the SETI Institute. "It is fantastic to have overcome the
challenges of prototyping, testing, procurement, and installation all
conducted during both a global pandemic and semiconductor shortage
and we are excited to be able to move on to the next task of
processing the many Tb/s of data to which we now have access."
There are several advantages to conducting SETI research with the
VLA:
- The size of the VLA: Each of the VLA's 27 antennas is 25 meters in
diameter, spread over 22 miles
- The VLA has a combined collecting area equivalent to a single-dish
antenna of 130 meters across
- Each VLA antenna has 8 cryogenically cooled receivers covering the
radio spectrum continuously from 1 to 50 GHz
- Some receivers can operate below 1 GHz down to 54 MHz, a band used
on Earth for television broadcasting
Once up and running, it is estimated that COSMIC SETI will observe
about 40 million galactic star systems in two years. It will be the most
comprehensive SETI observing program undertaken in the Northern
Hemisphere, with high sensitivity and a huge target list.
"I am excited by the ability of COSMIC to conduct the most
comprehensive technosignature search ever in the Northern
Hemisphere," said Cherry Ng, SETI Institute COSMIC Project
Scientist. "We will be able to monitor millions of stars with a
sensitivity high enough to detect an Arecibo-like transmitter out
to a distance of 25 parsecs (81 light-years), covering an observing
frequency range from 230 MHz to 50 GHz, which includes many parts
of the spectrum that have not yet been explored for ETI signals."
The system should be fully operational by early 2023 and will conduct
its first major observational campaign in parallel with the ongoing
VLA Sky Survey (VLASS).
"We look forward to partnering with the SETI Institute on this
exciting initiative and are pleased to see this important milestone
in the technical work that will make this new science possible," said
NRAO Director Tony Beasley.
