2024-01-09 11:57:47
Image showing the positions of all COSMIC target stars so far with data recorded in a database of potential signals. We have collected data on more than 485,000 sources in the frequency range of 2 to 45 GHz. – SETI INSTITUTE
MADRID, 9 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The SETI Institute is expanding the search for intelligence beyond Earth using a copy of the raw data from observations from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) telescope.
The new COSMIC (Commensal Open-Source Multimode Interferometer Cluster) initiative is now operational searching using observations from the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS), which will map 80% of the sky in three phases over two years and catalog approximately 10 million radio sources.
At the center of COSMIC is the search for the age-old question: Are we alone in the universe? Project scientist Dr. Chenoa Tremblay and the team have detailed the project in an article published in The Astronomical Journal.
What sets COSMIC apart is its adaptability to the future. The system is designed for future upgrades, ensuring it remains at the forefront of cosmic exploration. With the potential to expand its capabilities, COSMIC could soon cover more stars, explore new frequencies and improve our understanding of the vast cosmic tapestry. The SETI Institute reported in a statement.
Additionally, future updates could unlock new explorations, from finding fast radio bursts with submillisecond temporal resolution to studying the science of spectral lines and axionic dark matter.
“COSMIC introduces a modern Ethernet-based digital architecture into the VLA, enabling a testbed for future technologies as we move into the next-generation era,” Tremblay said. “Currently, the focus is on creating one of the largest surveys of technology signals, with more than 500,000 sources observed in the first six months. “However, the flexibility of the design allows for a wide range of other scientific opportunities, such as the study of pulse structures of fast radio bursts and the search for dark matter axion candidates.”
COSMIC’s Ethernet-based system adds a new collaborative element to the cosmos. Multicast technology allows other commensal systems to access the processing power of COSMIC, which allows the development of a collaborative scientific ecosystem.
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