Analysis of the Breakthrough Listen signal of interest blc1 with a technosignature verification framework

Sofia Z. Sheikh; Shane Smith; Danny C. Price; David DeBoer; Brian C. Lacki; Daniel J. Czech; Steve Croft; Vishal Gajjar; Howard Isaacson; Matt Lebofsky; David H. E. MacMahon; Cherry Ng; Karen I. Perez; Andrew P.V. Siemion; Claire Isabel Webb; Andrew Zic; Jamie Drew; S. Pete Worden

doi:10.1038/s41550-021-01508-8

Analysis of the Breakthrough Listen signal of interest blc1 with a technosignature verification framework

Sofia Z. Sheikh^*, Shane Smith, Danny C. Price, David DeBoer, Brian C. Lacki, Daniel J. Czech, Steve Croft, Vishal Gajjar, Howard Isaacson, Matt Lebofsky, David H. E. MacMahon, Cherry Ng, Karen I. Perez, Andrew P.V. Siemion, Claire Isabel Webb, Andrew Zic, Jamie Drew, S. Pete Worden

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

The aim of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is to find technologically capable life beyond Earth through their technosignatures. On 2019 April 29, the Breakthrough Listen SETI project observed Proxima Centauri with the Parkes ‘Murriyang’ radio telescope. These data contained a narrowband signal with characteristics broadly consistent with a technosignature near 982 MHz (‘blc1’). Here we present a procedure for the analysis of potential technosignatures, in the context of the ubiquity of human-generated radio interference, which we apply to blc1. Using this procedure, we find that blc1 is not an extraterrestrial technosignature, but rather an electronically drifting intermodulation product of local, time-varying interferers aligned with the observing cadence. We find dozens of instances of radio interference with similar morphologies to blc1 at frequencies harmonically related to common clock oscillators. These complex intermodulation products highlight the necessity for detailed follow-up of any signal of interest using a procedure such as the one outlined in this work.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1153-1162
Number of pages	10
Journal	Nature Astronomy
Volume	5
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01508-8
Publication status	Published - Nov 2021

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Sheikh, S. Z., Smith, S., Price, D. C., DeBoer, D., Lacki, B. C., Czech, D. J., Croft, S., Gajjar, V., Isaacson, H., Lebofsky, M., MacMahon, D. H. E., Ng, C., Perez, K. I., Siemion, A. P. V., Webb, C. I., Zic, A., Drew, J., & Worden, S. P. (2021). Analysis of the Breakthrough Listen signal of interest blc1 with a technosignature verification framework. Nature Astronomy, 5(11), 1153-1162. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01508-8

@article{3c96d4ff75ee44af95f7f73cb0a63eb1,

title = "Analysis of the Breakthrough Listen signal of interest blc1 with a technosignature verification framework",

abstract = "The aim of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is to find technologically capable life beyond Earth through their technosignatures. On 2019 April 29, the Breakthrough Listen SETI project observed Proxima Centauri with the Parkes {\textquoteleft}Murriyang{\textquoteright} radio telescope. These data contained a narrowband signal with characteristics broadly consistent with a technosignature near 982 MHz ({\textquoteleft}blc1{\textquoteright}). Here we present a procedure for the analysis of potential technosignatures, in the context of the ubiquity of human-generated radio interference, which we apply to blc1. Using this procedure, we find that blc1 is not an extraterrestrial technosignature, but rather an electronically drifting intermodulation product of local, time-varying interferers aligned with the observing cadence. We find dozens of instances of radio interference with similar morphologies to blc1 at frequencies harmonically related to common clock oscillators. These complex intermodulation products highlight the necessity for detailed follow-up of any signal of interest using a procedure such as the one outlined in this work.",

author = "Sheikh, \{Sofia Z.\} and Shane Smith and Price, \{Danny C.\} and David DeBoer and Lacki, \{Brian C.\} and Czech, \{Daniel J.\} and Steve Croft and Vishal Gajjar and Howard Isaacson and Matt Lebofsky and MacMahon, \{David H. E.\} and Cherry Ng and Perez, \{Karen I.\} and Siemion, \{Andrew P.V.\} and Webb, \{Claire Isabel\} and Andrew Zic and Jamie Drew and Worden, \{S. Pete\}",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s). Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2021",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1038/s41550-021-01508-8",

language = "English",

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Sheikh, SZ, Smith, S, Price, DC, DeBoer, D, Lacki, BC, Czech, DJ, Croft, S, Gajjar, V, Isaacson, H, Lebofsky, M, MacMahon, DHE, Ng, C, Perez, KI, Siemion, APV, Webb, CI, Zic, A, Drew, J & Worden, SP 2021, 'Analysis of the Breakthrough Listen signal of interest blc1 with a technosignature verification framework', Nature Astronomy, vol. 5, no. 11, pp. 1153-1162. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01508-8

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AU - Sheikh, Sofia Z.

AU - Smith, Shane

AU - Price, Danny C.

AU - DeBoer, David

AU - Lacki, Brian C.

AU - Czech, Daniel J.

AU - Croft, Steve

AU - Gajjar, Vishal

AU - Isaacson, Howard

AU - Lebofsky, Matt

AU - MacMahon, David H. E.

AU - Ng, Cherry

AU - Perez, Karen I.

AU - Siemion, Andrew P.V.

AU - Webb, Claire Isabel

AU - Zic, Andrew

AU - Drew, Jamie

AU - Worden, S. Pete

N1 - © 2021, The Author(s). Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2021/11

Y1 - 2021/11

N2 - The aim of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is to find technologically capable life beyond Earth through their technosignatures. On 2019 April 29, the Breakthrough Listen SETI project observed Proxima Centauri with the Parkes ‘Murriyang’ radio telescope. These data contained a narrowband signal with characteristics broadly consistent with a technosignature near 982 MHz (‘blc1’). Here we present a procedure for the analysis of potential technosignatures, in the context of the ubiquity of human-generated radio interference, which we apply to blc1. Using this procedure, we find that blc1 is not an extraterrestrial technosignature, but rather an electronically drifting intermodulation product of local, time-varying interferers aligned with the observing cadence. We find dozens of instances of radio interference with similar morphologies to blc1 at frequencies harmonically related to common clock oscillators. These complex intermodulation products highlight the necessity for detailed follow-up of any signal of interest using a procedure such as the one outlined in this work.

AB - The aim of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is to find technologically capable life beyond Earth through their technosignatures. On 2019 April 29, the Breakthrough Listen SETI project observed Proxima Centauri with the Parkes ‘Murriyang’ radio telescope. These data contained a narrowband signal with characteristics broadly consistent with a technosignature near 982 MHz (‘blc1’). Here we present a procedure for the analysis of potential technosignatures, in the context of the ubiquity of human-generated radio interference, which we apply to blc1. Using this procedure, we find that blc1 is not an extraterrestrial technosignature, but rather an electronically drifting intermodulation product of local, time-varying interferers aligned with the observing cadence. We find dozens of instances of radio interference with similar morphologies to blc1 at frequencies harmonically related to common clock oscillators. These complex intermodulation products highlight the necessity for detailed follow-up of any signal of interest using a procedure such as the one outlined in this work.

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DO - 10.1038/s41550-021-01508-8

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85117918766

SN - 2397-3366

VL - 5

SP - 1153

EP - 1162

JO - Nature Astronomy

JF - Nature Astronomy

IS - 11

ER -

Analysis of the Breakthrough Listen signal of interest blc1 with a technosignature verification framework

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