Radio Transient and SETI Sky Surveys Using the Arecibo L-Band Feed Array

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

Dr Werthimer and his collaborators will conduct a survey with the Arecibo radio telescope to search for narrow band and pulsed signals varying over milliseconds to microseconds. They will use the 7-beam Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFA); SERENDIP V, a new spectrometer that the team developed under a past NSF award; and SETI@home II, their real-time multi-beam data recorder. Their spectrometer will take data continuously while the Arecibo telescope is being used for other surveys. This will be analyzed by volunteers who provide unused cycles on home computers, on the model of SETI@home. The new survey will be 14 times more sensitive than the best previous work. In addition to artificial narrow-band signals, the survey will search for pulsars with high dispersion measures and short periods or short duty cycles; pulses associated with evaporating primordial black holes; and potentially, giant pulses from undiscovered pulsars. This project will involve the public as active participants. Data sets, project news and educational materials will be distributed via the SETI@home website. Graduate and undergraduate students will help to design the survey and participate in the research. The team's new methods for commensal (parallel) observations, for reduction and analysis of multibeam data, and for removal of radio interference signals, will be useful at other observatories.