Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence with the ngVLA

Abstract

Abstract The next generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) will be the premiere centimeter-wave radio array in the Northern Hemisphere by the mid 2030s and thus has the potential to be one of the most effective instruments for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). We show that, as of now, the ngVLA will be the only facility capable of detecting an extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) signal generated by an Arecibo-like transmitter further than 300 pc. We present the optimal antenna array configurations and study the proposed frequency band coverage of the ngVLA and its implications to SETI. We argue for the ability to form of the order of 64 commensal high spectral resolution beams, as the large number of line of sights is critical to provide a competitive survey speed when compared to other modern surveys with telescopes such as MeerKAT and the future SKA. We advocate an Ethernet-based telescope architecture design for the ngVLA, which will provide a high degree of flexibility in SETI data analysis and will benefit the wider astronomy community through commensal science and open-source code, maximizing the potential scientific output of the ngVLA.