On Artificial Transits Feasibility and SETI

From the astro-ph archives:

Paper: astro-ph/0509431
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:48:29 GMT (6kb)

Title: On artificial transits feasibility and SETI
Authors: Luc Arnold (Observatoire de Haute-Provence CNRS
Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire France)
Comments: A 2-page paper to appear in 'Scientific Highlights 2005', proceedings
of the 'Semaine de l'Astrophysique Francaise - Journees de la
Societe Francaise d'Astronomie et d'Astrophysique', 27th June
- 1st July 2005, Strasbourg, eds. F. Casoli et al., EDP Sciences

It is known that the shape of a planet (oblateness, rings, etc.)
slightly modifies the shape of the transit light curve. The
forthcoming space missions (Corot, Kepler), able to detect the transit
of Earth-like planets, could a fortiori also detect the transit of
artificial planet-size objects if their shape is significantly
different from a natural (planetary) object. Multiple artificial
objects would also produce transit light curves easily recognizable
from natural transits. Artificial transits, especially of multiple
objects, could be used for the transmission of clear attention-getting
signals, with a sky coverage (efficiency) comparable to that of the
laser pulse method. Although out of reach of current human
technologies, the building of an Earth-size 1-micron thick mask would
require energy and bulk material amounts already managed on Earth
today. The migration of the mask toward an inner orbit and its
protection against asteroids or meteoroids are also briefly discussed.

( http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0509431 , 6kb)

--
Lt. Lazio, HTML police | e-mail:
No means no, stop rape. | http://patriot.net/%7Ejlazio/
sci.astro FAQ at http://sciastro.astronomy.net/sci.astro.html

Joseph Lazio wrote:
From the astro-ph archives:

Paper: astro-ph/0509431
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:48:29 GMT (6kb)

Title: On artificial transits feasibility and SETI
Authors: Luc Arnold (Observatoire de Haute-Provence CNRS
Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire France)
Comments: A 2-page paper to appear in 'Scientific Highlights 2005', proceedings
of the 'Semaine de l'Astrophysique Francaise - Journees de la
Societe Francaise d'Astronomie et d'Astrophysique', 27th June
- 1st July 2005, Strasbourg, eds. F. Casoli et al., EDP Sciences

It is known that the shape of a planet (oblateness, rings, etc.)
slightly modifies the shape of the transit light curve. The
forthcoming space missions (Corot, Kepler), able to detect the transit
of Earth-like planets, could a fortiori also detect the transit of
artificial planet-size objects if their shape is significantly
different from a natural (planetary) object. Multiple artificial
objects would also produce transit light curves easily recognizable
from natural transits. Artificial transits, especially of multiple
objects, could be used for the transmission of clear attention-getting
signals, with a sky coverage (efficiency) comparable to that of the
laser pulse method. Although out of reach of current human
technologies, the building of an Earth-size 1-micron thick mask would
require energy and bulk material amounts already managed on Earth
today. The migration of the mask toward an inner orbit and its
protection against asteroids or meteoroids are also briefly discussed.

( http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0509431 , 6kb)


A very interesting idea.