The Search for SpockThe Search for SpockThe Scientific Search for Extraterrestrial LifeThe Scientific Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Or GraurOr Graur

Student Seminar 26.03.09Student Seminar 26.03.09

The Drake EquationThe Drake Equation

N=R*fN=R*fpp*n*nee*f*fll*f*fii*f*fcc*L*L

The Water HoleThe Water Hole1959: Morrison & Cocconi1959: Morrison & Cocconi

H - 21 cm -> 1.42 GHzH - 21 cm -> 1.42 GHz

OHOH - 18.3 cm -> 1.64 GHz - 18.3 cm -> 1.64 GHz

Hipschman R., Project SERENDIP: Searching for Life in the Cosmos, What’s New in the World, 29.10.97

Project OZMA: 1960Project OZMA: 1960

Two G stars: Epsilon Eridani & Tau CetiTwo G stars: Epsilon Eridani & Tau Ceti 1420 Mhz1420 Mhz 85 ft radio telescope at Green Bank85 ft radio telescope at Green Bank 150 hours150 hours nadanada

The Goldilocks RegionThe Goldilocks Region

Kasting, Whitmire & Reynolds (1993)Kasting, Whitmire & Reynolds (1993)

The GHZThe GHZ

Lineweaver, et al. (2004)Lineweaver, et al. (2004)

The GHZThe GHZ

Lineweaver, et al. (2004)Lineweaver, et al. (2004)

Phoenix: 1995-2004Phoenix: 1995-2004

Parkes 64m + Mopra 22m (Australia)Parkes 64m + Mopra 22m (Australia) Green Bank 140ft + Woodbury (USA)Green Bank 140ft + Woodbury (USA) Arecibo (Puerto Rico)Arecibo (Puerto Rico)

800 G-type stars out to 200 lyr.800 G-type stars out to 200 lyr. 1-3 Mhz region, 1Hz resolution1-3 Mhz region, 1Hz resolution Conclusion: “We live in a quiet Conclusion: “We live in a quiet

neighborhood.”neighborhood.”

SERENDIP: 1979SERENDIP: 1979 - -

PhasePhase##channelschannels

II100100

IIII65K65K

IIIIII4M4M

IVIV168M168M

piggybackingpiggybacking Signal resolution of 0.6 HzSignal resolution of 0.6 Hz

Sullivan, et al. (1997)Sullivan, et al. (1997)

0.25 MB = 50 seconds of a 20 kHz chunk0.25 MB = 50 seconds of a 20 kHz chunk Signal widths of 0.1-2000 HzSignal widths of 0.1-2000 Hz

Sullivan, et al. (1997)Sullivan, et al. (1997)

Berkeley Open Infrastructure Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computingfor Network Computing

~25 projects:~25 projects:

SETI@home SETI@home LHC@home – LHC simulationsLHC@home – LHC simulations Einstein@home – pulsar survey based on LIGO, Einstein@home – pulsar survey based on LIGO,

GEOGEO Chess960@homeChess960@home SIMAP – similarity between proteinsSIMAP – similarity between proteins Rosetta@home – 3-D shape of proteinsRosetta@home – 3-D shape of proteins

680,000 participants in 245 countries680,000 participants in 245 countries 1,000,000 computers1,000,000 computers 400 TeraFLOPS (more than IBM’s 2006 400 TeraFLOPS (more than IBM’s 2006

supercomputer BlueGene)supercomputer BlueGene) 12 Petabytes of free disk space12 Petabytes of free disk space SETI@home: 2.7 million years of computer SETI@home: 2.7 million years of computer

timetime

Anderson D. P., Anderson D. P., A Million Years of ComputingA Million Years of Computing, talk at the , talk at the Singapore National Library, May 2006Singapore National Library, May 2006

Berkeley Open Infrastructure Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computingfor Network Computing

Allan Telescope Array: 2007Allan Telescope Array: 2007 - -

Hat Creek Radio Observatory (N Cal)Hat Creek Radio Observatory (N Cal) Dedicated wholly to SETIDedicated wholly to SETI 350 6.1m antennae => S350 6.1m antennae => S<<100m100m22

0.5-11 GHz0.5-11 GHz Two paths: Two paths:

• non-natural signals from 10non-natural signals from 1055-10-1066 stars out to stars out to 1000 lyr.1000 lyr.

• Directed message in the water hole region Directed message in the water hole region from 10from 101010 stars in inner galactic plane stars in inner galactic plane

ATA – other objectivesATA – other objectives

Classify 2.5x10Classify 2.5x1055 extragalactic radio extragalactic radio sources as either AGN or starburst sources as either AGN or starburst galaxies.galaxies.

Gravitational lens candidates for dark Gravitational lens candidates for dark matter/energy detection.matter/energy detection.

Metallicity in the Milky WayMetallicity in the Milky Way Radio transientsRadio transients And much, much moreAnd much, much more

Lick Optical SETI: 2000Lick Optical SETI: 2000- -

5,039 F,G,K,M stars out to 200 lyr.5,039 F,G,K,M stars out to 200 lyr. 300-900 nm range300-900 nm range Search for nanosecond laser pulsesSearch for nanosecond laser pulses Other surveys: Leuschner, Harvard Smithsonian, Other surveys: Leuschner, Harvard Smithsonian,

Princeton, Columbus-OhioPrinceton, Columbus-Ohio

Central Casting SyndromeCentral Casting Syndrome

Central Casting SyndromeCentral Casting Syndrome

Life on Mars? CanalsLife on Mars? Canals

1877: Giovanni Schiaparelli (1877)1877: Giovanni Schiaparelli (1877)

Life on Mars? ALH84001Life on Mars? ALH84001

Discovered: 27.12.84Discovered: 27.12.84 Shocked: 06.08.96Shocked: 06.08.96 ““structures” 20-100 nm in diameterstructures” 20-100 nm in diameter Traces of amino acids and PAHs (polycyclic Traces of amino acids and PAHs (polycyclic

aromatic hydrocarbons)aromatic hydrocarbons) Martian? Antarctic? Not biological?Martian? Antarctic? Not biological? Conclusive? Eh…Conclusive? Eh…

Life on Mars? MethaneLife on Mars? Methane!!

Mumma, et al. (2009)Mumma, et al. (2009)