E.T. could be phoning home — but we’re not hearing the call.
A new study published in The Astrophysical Journal argues that “space weather” could be distorting incoming transmissions from extraterrestrials.
The paper, penned by researchers at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, claims that searches for alien contact typically look for extremely sharp, narrow frequency spikes.
While scientists have long considered that distortions can occur as radio waves travel across interstellar space, the new paper focuses on what can happen when a distortion arises closer to the source.
“Plasma density fluctuations in stellar winds, as well as occasional eruptive events such as coronal mass ejections, can distort radio waves near their point of origin, effectively ‘smearing’ the signal’s frequency,” a press release about the study stated.
“[Traditional] Searches are often optimized for extremely narrow signals,” Dr Vishal Gajjar, astronomer at the SETI Institute and lead author of the paper, further explained. “If a signal gets broadened by its own star’s environment, it can slip below our detection thresholds, even if it’s there.”
To determine whether they may be missing alien communication, they looked at how “space weather” near the point of origin might broaden transmission signals.
They subsequently devised a practical framework for estimating how much broadening could occur for different types of stars if they were impacted such conditions.
The results were jaw-dropping.
For example, the researchers found that M-dwarfs, which make up around 75% of stars in the Milky Way, may be more likely to broaden narrowband signals near their source of origin due to “space weather.”
This means we may be missing signals due to our current mode of detection.
Thus, the researchers say search strategies should be adapted to look for signals that are slightly wider than traditionally expected.
“By quantifying how stellar activity can reshape narrowband signals, we can design searches that are better matched to what actually arrives at Earth, not just what might be transmitted,” Grayce C. Brown, co-author of the study and research assistant at the SETI Institute, declared.
