It is best to look for signs of extraterrestrial life in the radio range of one to 10 gigahertz. Alexander Panov, candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, leading researcher at the DV Skobeltsyn Research Institute of Nuclear Physics at Moscow State University, told socialbites.ca.
According to Alexander Panov, high frequencies from gigahertz provide optimal quality data transmission over long distances in space, while lower frequencies in the megahertz range are less suitable for this task due to the dispersion effect caused by stellar plasma and higher cosmic noise. background. Therefore, long radio waves travel at different speeds and the signals “spread out”.
“It is very difficult to search for signals due to strong noise at low frequencies,” explained the expert.
In addition, it is unlikely that the planetary radars and communication systems of spacecraft of extraterrestrial civilizations will operate at low frequencies for the reasons stated above.
Alexander Panov also described the chances of success of the European Breakthrough Listening experiment, in which astronomers for the first time used the LOFAR radio telescope group to detect signals of extraterrestrial intelligence in the megahertz range, as small. Scientists plan to scan the radio fields of 1.6 million star systems for signals of artificial origin.
The expert explained that the LOFAR network as a whole is not aimed at detecting extraterrestrial radio signals. LOFAR’s tasks are different: research of the interstellar magnetic field, the oldest radio galaxies, solar physics, etc.
Alexander Panov admitted that despite suboptimal search conditions, astronomers may still get lucky.
Earlier astronomers extended Investigation of signals from extraterrestrial civilizations through the LOFAR network.