Breakthrough Listen scientists have spent the last three years developing and installing the most powerful digital instrumentation ever deployed in the search for technosignatures.
They have also integrated the equipment with the MeerKAT control and monitoring systems in cooperation with Sarao engineers.
“Our new supercomputer enables us to combine signals from the 64 dishes to get high-resolution scans of these targets with excellent sensitivity, all without impacting the research of other astronomers who are using the array,” said Siemion. In addition, Sarao said its ability to scan 64 targets simultaneously within the main field of view also improved the initiative’s ability to reject interfering signals from human technology, such as Earth-orbiting satellites, which have radically increased in the past few years.Sarao said the Listen team had to develop sophisticated targeting and scheduling software to ensure the survey goals could be met in the desired timeframe.
Breakthrough Listen’s project scientist for MeerKAT, Cherry Ng, said MeerKAT provide the ability to detect a transmitter akin to Earth’s brightest radio beacons out to a distance of 250 light years in its routine observing mode.
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