A Simultaneous Dual-site Technosignature Search Using International LOFAR Stations

Authors:
  • OJOwen A. Johnson
    Owen A. Johnson
  • VGVishal Gajjar
    Vishal Gajjar
  • EKEvan F. Keane
    Evan F. Keane
  • DMDavid J. McKenna
    David J. McKenna
  • CGCharles Giese
    Charles Giese
  • BMBen McKeon
    Ben McKeon
  • CACloe Alcaria
    Cloe Alcaria
  • ABAoife Brennan
    Aoife Brennan
  • BBBryan Brzycki
    Bryan Brzycki
  • SCSteve Croft
    Steve Croft
  • JDJamie Drew
    Jamie Drew
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Abstract
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence aims to find evidence of technosignatures, which can point toward the possible existence of technologically advanced extraterrestrial life. Radio signals similar to those engineered on Earth may be transmitted by other civilizations, motivating technosignature searches across the entire radio spectrum. In this endeavor, the low-frequency radio band has remained largely unexplored; with prior radio searches primarily above 1 GHz. In this survey at 110-190 MHz, observations of 1,631,198 targets from TESS and Gaia are reported. Observations took place simultaneously with two international stations (noninterferometric) of the Low Frequency Array in Ireland and Sweden. We can reject the presence of any Doppler drifting narrowband transmissions in the barycentric frame of reference, with equivalent isotropic radiated power of 10 17 W, for 0.4 million (or 1.3 million) stellar systems at 110 (or 190) MHz. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of using multisite simultaneous observations for rejecting anthropogenic signals in the search for technosignatures.

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