In a groundbreaking cosmic search, the SETI Institute’s Commensal Open-Source Multimode Interferometer Cluster (COSMIC) at the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is expanding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, reports seti.org.
This advanced technology is not a separate telescope; it’s a detector. COSMIC searches for extraterrestrial signals and paves the way for future science using a copy of the raw data from the telescope’s observations.
At the core of COSMIC’s mission is the pursuit of the age-old question: are we alone in the universe? Project scientist Dr. Chenoa Tremblay and team detailed the project in an article published in The Astronomical Journal.
What sets COSMIC apart is its adaptability to the future. The system is designed for future upgrades, ensuring it remains at the forefront of cosmic exploration. With the potential to expand its capabilities, COSMIC could soon cover more stars, explore new frequencies and expand our understanding of the vast cosmic tapestry.
It is important to note that COSMIC’s capabilities extend beyond the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Future upgrades could enable new explorations, from finding fast radio bursts with sub-millisecond temporal resolution to studying spectral line science and axonic dark matter.
“COSMIC introduces modern Ethernet-based digital architecture to the VLA, enabling a testbed for future technologies as we enter the next-generation era,” said Tremblay.
“Currently, the focus is on creating one of the largest surveys of technology signals, with more than 500,000 sources observed in the first six months. However, the flexibility of the design opens up a wide range of other scientific possibilities, such as studying fast radio burst pulse structures and searching for dark matter candidates in the axions.
“We hope to create opportunities for other scientists to use our high time (nanoseconds) or our high spectral resolution (sub-Hz) to complete their research. It is an exciting time to expand the capabilities of this historic telescope.”
COSMIC stands on the shoulders of giants like Project Phoenix, with the ability to search millions of stars and the potential to expand to tens of millions – a leap in scope and sensitivity. Currently operational at the VLA, COSMIC searches using observations from the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS), which will map 80% of the sky in three phases over two years and catalog approximately 10 million radio sources.
COSMIC’s Ethernet-based system adds a new element of collaboration to the cosmos. Multicasting technology allows other commensal systems to access COSMIC’s processing power, creating a collaborative scientific ecosystem. Imagine multiple telescopes working together to unravel the deepest mysteries of the universe.
“The COSMIC system greatly increases the scientific capabilities of the VLA. Its main purpose, detecting alien technosignatures, addresses one of the most profound scientific questions ever. This topic was previously not possible with the VLA,” says Dr. Paul Demorest, National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
“Working in parallel with projects such as the VLA Sky Survey, COSMIC will conduct one of the largest SETI surveys ever conducted, while still allowing the VLA to conduct its usual program of other astronomical research.”
