Limits from Satellite Gamma-Ray Observations on the Use of Antimatter Propulsion by Extraterrestrial Civilizations

Details Limits from Satellite Gamma-Ray Observations on the Use of Antimatter Propulsion by Extraterrestrial Civilizations Limits from Satellite Gamma-Ray Observations on the Use of Antimatter Propulsion by Extraterrestrial Civilizations

Jan 2002

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002iaf..confe.364h&link_type=abstract

IAF abstracts, 34th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, The Second World Space Congress, held 10-19 October, 2002 in Houston, TX, USA.,

Computer Science

Scientific paper

I argue that the existence of cold antimatter in bulk is not permitted by the Standard Model, so that if -ray signatures from antiproton or positron annihilation were to be detected, they may represent the action of intelligence. A general lack of -ray lines in the spectra of -ray burst sources has frustrated attempts to identify spacecraft by means of Doppler shifted lines of energy 0.511 MeV from positron annihilation. I have used spectra from an all-sky survey at the energies produced by antiproton annihilation (30-928 MeV, 1991-1995 data from the EGRET experiment on board the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory) to search for spacecraft powered by that technology. No source was detected (an intriguing spectrum from QSO 2206+650 = 3EG J2206+6602 is probably not related to SETI), and an upper limit (99% confidence) of 2.3 x 10-8photon/(cm2 s) was set, which is a factor 10 worse for sources in the Galactic plane due to the higher diffuse -ray background emission. I give brief, but quantitative, illustrations of what this limit means in terms of human-like spacefaring activity.

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