A novel SETI strategy targeting the solar focal regions of the most nearby stars

[en] Many hypotheses have been raised to explain the famous Fermi paradox. One of them is that self-replicating probes could have explored the whole Galaxy, including our Solar System, and that they are still to be detected. In this scenario, it is proposed here that probes from neighboring stellar systems could use the stars they orbit as gravitational lenses to communicate efficiently with each other. Under this hypothesis, a novel SETI approach would be to monitor the solar focal regions of the most nearby stars to search for communication devices. The envisioned devices are probably not detectable by imagery or stellar occultation, but an intensive multi-spectral monitoring campaign could possibly detect some communication leakages. Another and more direct option would be to message the focal regions of nearby stars in an attempt to initiate a reaction.

Disciplines :

Space science, astronomy & astrophysics

Author, co-author :

Gillon, Michaël ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Origines Cosmologiques et Astrophysiques (OrCa)

Language :

English

Title :

A novel SETI strategy targeting the solar focal regions of the most nearby stars

Publication date :

01 February 2013

Journal title :

Acta Astronautica

ISSN :

0094-5765

eISSN :

1879-2030

Publisher :

Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, Oxford, United Kingdom

Volume :

Pages :

629-633

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013arXiv1309.7586G

Commentary :

12 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in Acta Astronautica on 19 Sep 2013; doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2013.09.009

Available on ORBi :

since 16 December 2013

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