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

Werthimer博士和他的合作者将用阿雷西博射电望远镜进行一次调查，寻找在毫秒到微秒之间变化的窄带和脉冲信号。他们将使用7波束阿雷西博l波段馈电阵列（ALFA）；SERENDIP V是该团队在过去的国家科学基金会奖下开发的新型光谱仪；和SETI@home II，他们的实时多波束数据记录器。当阿雷西博望远镜用于其他调查时，他们的光谱仪将持续采集数据。志愿者将在SETI@home的模式下，在家用电脑上提供未使用的自行车，对其进行分析。新的调查将比以前最好的工作灵敏14倍。除了人工窄带信号外，该调查还将寻找具有高色散测量和短周期或短占空比的脉冲星；与蒸发的原始黑洞有关的脉冲；还有可能是来自未被发现的脉冲星的巨大脉冲。这个项目将让公众积极参与。数据集、项目新闻和教育材料将通过SETI@home网站分发。研究生和本科生将帮助设计调查并参与研究。该小组的新方法用于共（平行）观测，减少和分析多波束数据，以及去除无线电干扰信号，将对其他天文台有用。

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.