MSI Seminar - On the Breakthrough Listen's radio technosignature searches

Vishal Gajjar, Karen Perez, Bryan Brzycki

Dec 1, 2020 3:30 PM
MSI Seminar

Title: On the Breakthrough Listen's radio technosignature searches

Abstract:

The discovery of the ubiquity of habitable extrasolar planets, combined with revolutionary advances in instrumentation and observational capabilities, have ushered in a renaissance in the millennia-old quest to answer our most profound question about the universe and our place within it - Are we alone? The Breakthrough Listen (BL) Initiative announced in July 2015 as a 10-year 100M USD program is the most comprehensive effort in history to quantify the distribution of advanced, technologically capable life in the universe. We will outline the status of the on-going observing campaign with our primary observing facilities, as well as planned activities with these instruments over the next few years. In this seminar, we will outline one of a recent survey to search for signs of intelligent life near the Galactic center as a case study to elaborate on the different types of potential signals being searched with the BL program; such as narrowband beacons with <1 Hz spectral occupancy and transient signals with artificial dispersion. We will outline some of the novel search strategies including some of our state-of-the-art Machine learning (ML) based methods, which help us effectively sort through these signals and help us identify their true origins. Although we have just explored a small fraction of the parameter space, we will review how these efforts will likely help us in our quest to seek evidence of other advanced extraterrestrial life in the universe.




Upcoming Events

Reality Check: The Perils and Promise of Observations to Characterize Small Exoplanets

Johanna Teske (Carnegie Institute for Science)

Apr 2, 2024 3:30 PM
Seminar Event
Read More ⇒

APIERY Discussion

Apr 3, 2024 2:00 PM
Location: TSI Lounge
Other Event
Read More ⇒

Astro-ph discussion

Apr 3, 2024 3:30 PM
Other Event
Read More ⇒

TSI Eclipse Fair and Viewing Party

Apr 8, 2024 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Location: McGill Campus, Lower Field
Public Outreach
Read More ⇒

TSI Seminar

Vikram Ravi (Caltech)

Apr 9, 2024 3:30 PM
Seminar Event
Read More ⇒

APIERY Discussion

Apr 10, 2024 2:00 PM
Location: TSI Lounge
Other Event
Read More ⇒

Astro-ph discussion

Apr 10, 2024 3:30 PM
Other Event
Read More ⇒

TSI Seminar

Christine Chen (Space Telescope Science Institute)

Apr 16, 2024 3:30 PM
Seminar Event
Read More ⇒

APIERY Discussion

Apr 17, 2024 2:00 PM
Location: TSI Lounge
Other Event
Read More ⇒

Astro-ph discussion

Apr 17, 2024 3:30 PM
Other Event
Read More ⇒

TSI Seminar

Miles Cranmer (Cambridge and Simons Foundation)

Apr 23, 2024 3:30 PM
Seminar Event
Read More ⇒

APIERY Discussion

Apr 24, 2024 2:00 PM
Location: TSI Lounge
Other Event
Read More ⇒

Astro-ph discussion

Apr 24, 2024 3:30 PM
Other Event
Read More ⇒

TSI Seminar

Sunshine Menezes (Executive Director at Metcalf Institute)

Apr 30, 2024 3:30 PM
Seminar Event
Read More ⇒

Public Observing Night

Apr 30, 2024 7:30 PM
Outreach Event
Read More ⇒

APIERY Discussion

May 1, 2024 2:00 PM
Location: TSI Lounge
Other Event
Read More ⇒

Astro-ph discussion

May 1, 2024 3:30 PM
Other Event
Read More ⇒

TSI Public Talk

May 1, 2024 7:00 PM
Outreach Event
Read More ⇒

24hrs of Science - From Planets to Particles: An Exploration Mini-Fair

May 4, 2024 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Location: Rutherford Physics Building
Outreach Event
Read More ⇒

24 Hours of Science

May 4, 2024 11:00 AM
Outreach Event
Read More ⇒