COSMIC: An Ethernet-based Commensal, Multimode Digital Backend on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

C. D. Tremblay; S. S. Varghese; J. Hickish; P. B. Demorest; C. Ng; A. P. V. Siemion; D. Czech; R. A. Donnachie; W. Farah; V. Gajjar; M. Lebofsky; D. H. E. MacMahon; T. Myburgh; M. Ruzindana; J. S. Bright; A. Erickson; K. Lacker

doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ad0fe0

The Astronomical Journal (Jan 2023)

COSMIC: An Ethernet-based Commensal, Multimode Digital Backend on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

C. D. Tremblay,
S. S. Varghese,
J. Hickish,
P. B. Demorest,
C. Ng,
A. P. V. Siemion,
D. Czech,
R. A. Donnachie,
W. Farah,
V. Gajjar,
M. Lebofsky,
D. H. E. MacMahon,
T. Myburgh,
M. Ruzindana,
J. S. Bright,
A. Erickson,
K. Lacker

Affiliations

C. D. Tremblay: ORCiD; SETI Institute , 339 Bernardo Avenue, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ; [email protected]; Berkeley SETI Research Center, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
S. S. Varghese: ORCiD; SETI Institute , 339 Bernardo Avenue, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ; [email protected]
J. Hickish: ORCiD; Real-Time Radio Systems Ltd. , 111 Burley Road, Bransgore, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 8AY, UK
P. B. Demorest: ORCiD; National Radio Astronomy Observatory , 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
C. Ng: ORCiD; SETI Institute , 339 Bernardo Avenue, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ; [email protected]; Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto , 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada; Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
A. P. V. Siemion: ORCiD; SETI Institute , 339 Bernardo Avenue, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ; [email protected]; Breakthrough Listen, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA, USA; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, UK; University of Malta , Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy, Msida, MSD2080, Malta
D. Czech: ORCiD; Berkeley SETI Research Center, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
R. A. Donnachie: ORCiD; SETI Institute , 339 Bernardo Avenue, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ; [email protected]; Mydon Solutions (Pty) Ltd. , 102 Silver Oaks, 23 Silverlea Road, Wynberg, Cape Town, 7800, South Africa
W. Farah: ORCiD; SETI Institute , 339 Bernardo Avenue, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ; [email protected]; Berkeley SETI Research Center, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
V. Gajjar: ORCiD; SETI Institute , 339 Bernardo Avenue, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ; [email protected]
M. Lebofsky: ORCiD; Berkeley SETI Research Center, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
D. H. E. MacMahon: ORCiD; Berkeley SETI Research Center, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Breakthrough Listen, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
T. Myburgh: ORCiD; SETI Institute , 339 Bernardo Avenue, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ; [email protected]; Mydon Solutions (Pty) Ltd. , 102 Silver Oaks, 23 Silverlea Road, Wynberg, Cape Town, 7800, South Africa
M. Ruzindana: ORCiD; Berkeley SETI Research Center, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
J. S. Bright: ORCiD; Breakthrough Listen, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford , Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
A. Erickson: National Radio Astronomy Observatory , 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
K. Lacker: Berkeley SETI Research Center, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad0fe0
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 167, no. 1
p. 35

Abstract

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The primary goal of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is to gain an understanding of the prevalence of technologically advanced beings (organic or inorganic) in the Galaxy. One way to approach this is to look for technosignatures: remotely detectable indicators of technology, such as temporal or spectral electromagnetic emissions consistent with an artificial source. With the new Commensal Open-Source Multimode Interferometer Cluster (COSMIC) digital backend on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), we aim to conduct a search for technosignatures that is significantly more comprehensive, sensitive, and efficient than previously attempted. The COSMIC system is currently operational on the VLA, recording data and designed with the flexibility to provide user-requested modes. This paper describes the hardware system design, the current software pipeline, and plans for future development.

Published in The Astronomical Journal

ISSN: 0004-6256 (Print); 1538-3881 (Online)
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Astronomy
Website: https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1538-3881

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