Scientists have come up with laser technology that is capable of picking up alien signals from worlds that are far away. According to the Daily Star, the machine that is miniaturized was tailored to fit the specialized space missions of NASA. Such a device has the potential to revolutionize the long-standing search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Laser Technology To Detect Alien Signals
The study and development were conducted by a NASA-supported team from the University of Maryland. Their findings were included in the Nature Astronomy publication.
The Daily Star reports that the device is remarkably smaller and more efficient in terms of resources compared to the devices that went before it. At the same time, the technology does not compromise biological activity or planetary sample analyses.
With a weight of just 17 points, the device is a mix of two different tools that are scaled down together. This includes a UV laser that is pulsed and that removes small material quantities from planetary samples. There is also an Orbitrap that offers high-resolution data regarding the material's chemistry.
Professor Ricardo Arevalo, the study's lead author, notes how the Orbitrap was developed for commercial purposes. He notes how this device can be spotted in proteomic, medical, and pharmaceutical labs. The one in Professor Arevalo's lab weighs almost 400 pounds, which indicates how big the device is.
He notes how the team took eight years to come up with a space-efficient prototype that is remarkably smaller and less intensive in terms of resources. Despite these limitations, the team wanted to ensure that the device has the capacity to pursue cutting-edge technologies and scientific pursuits.
Professor Arevalo also notes that what's good about a laser technology source is that anything that is capable of being ionized can be analyzed as well. He notes that when the laser beam is shot toward a sample of ice, the team should be able to see the characteristic compositions of the sample and also observe the biosignatures found within it.
While the methodology has not been executed in an extraterrestrial setting, Professor Arevalo notes how it is specifically streamlined for space pursuits and analyses of planetary materials and samples.
Implications on Planetary Science, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
The Daily Star notes how the mini LDMS Orbitrap will be able to provide fresh data for incoming ventures right into the solar system. This includes pursuits that focus on the detection of life, such as the Enceladus Orbilander, and on lunar pursuits, like the Artemis mission of NASA.
The scientists are hopeful for the device to be deployed into space and on a specific planetary target.
Professor Arevalo also notes how he sees such a prototype as a pathfinder for incoming instruments that are LDMS and based on Orbitrap. He notes how this mini Orbitrap LDMS tool is potentially capable of remarkably boosting methods of astrobiology and geochemistry study.
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