Chapter 13
Getting Ready for the SKA SETI
F. Schillirò and G. Umana
Abstract The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in the next future will be able to
reach the proper sensitivity to make it possible the interception of potential alien
transmission at distance that is now certainly proved to host a big amount of exoplanetary systems; some of them are potentially able to host intelligent life. With
applying Commensal Observation strategies and Cognitive and AI Computing, SKA,
with the two stages of construction SKA1 and SKA2, could be considered a very
good instrumentation to carry out the most important discovery of mankind.
13.1 A New Strategy for SETI Observation and Data
Management
13.1.1 SKA Sensitivity for SETI
Historically, performing SETI experiments effectively with large telescopes has been
technically and politically difficult.
A poor amount of time telescope allocated for targeted observation produced
a large set of back-ends and dedicated electronic resources for piggy-back SETI
observation, even if from a technical point of view an important question is still
open: sensitivity. SKA will be the first world-class telescope ever constructed for
which SETI observations are a conscious part of the design process and are available
as a facility observing mode.
A the same time, SKA may be the first telescope capable of detecting truly Earthlike leakage radiation from nearby stars, allowing us our best chance at detecting
another civilization with an artificial radio signature similar to our own.
In Fig. 13.1 is reported the Sensitivity of each component of the SKA to narrowband transmitters at 15 pc, as compared with other facilities performing SETI
searches over the same band, assuming a significance threshold σ = 15, bandwith
F. Schillirò (B) · G. Umana
INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, via S. Sofia n. 78, 95123 Catania, Italy
e-mail: francesco.schilliro@inaf.it
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
S. Montebugnoli and A. Melis (eds.), The Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence,
Springer Proceedings in Physics 260, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63806-1_13
123
Getting Ready for the SKA SETI
F. Schillirò and G. Umana
Abstract The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in the next future will be able to
reach the proper sensitivity to make it possible the interception of potential alien
transmission at distance that is now certainly proved to host a big amount of exoplanetary systems; some of them are potentially able to host intelligent life. With
applying Commensal Observation strategies and Cognitive and AI Computing, SKA,
with the two stages of construction SKA1 and SKA2, could be considered a very
good instrumentation to carry out the most important discovery of mankind.
13.1 A New Strategy for SETI Observation and Data
Management
13.1.1 SKA Sensitivity for SETI
Historically, performing SETI experiments effectively with large telescopes has been
technically and politically difficult.
A poor amount of time telescope allocated for targeted observation produced
a large set of back-ends and dedicated electronic resources for piggy-back SETI
observation, even if from a technical point of view an important question is still
open: sensitivity. SKA will be the first world-class telescope ever constructed for
which SETI observations are a conscious part of the design process and are available
as a facility observing mode.
A the same time, SKA may be the first telescope capable of detecting truly Earthlike leakage radiation from nearby stars, allowing us our best chance at detecting
another civilization with an artificial radio signature similar to our own.
In Fig. 13.1 is reported the Sensitivity of each component of the SKA to narrowband transmitters at 15 pc, as compared with other facilities performing SETI
searches over the same band, assuming a significance threshold σ = 15, bandwith
F. Schillirò (B) · G. Umana
INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, via S. Sofia n. 78, 95123 Catania, Italy
e-mail: francesco.schilliro@inaf.it
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
S. Montebugnoli and A. Melis (eds.), The Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence,
Springer Proceedings in Physics 260, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63806-1_13
123