# Detecting the Ultimate Power in the Universe with LSST

## TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of the LSST to detect extraordinary astrophysical events, specifically the immediate effects of an alien superlaser targeting Earth, highlighting the survey's role in discovering rare cosmic phenomena.

## Contribution

It assesses LSST's capability to identify unprecedented signals from extraterrestrial superlasers, a novel application of time-domain surveys for detecting alien technological activity.

## Key findings

- LSST can potentially detect the effects of alien superlasers within its observational scope.
- The study proposes specific observational signatures for alien superlasers.
- It emphasizes the importance of large-scale surveys in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

## Abstract

Large time-domain surveys, when of sufficient scale, provide a greatly increased probability of detecting rare and, in many cases, unexpected events. Indeed, it is these unpredicted and previously unobserved objects that can lead to some of the greatest leaps in our understanding of the cosmos. The events that may be monitored include not only those that help contribute to our understanding of sources astrophysical variability, but may also extend to the discovery and characterization of civilizations comprised of other sentient lifeforms in the universe. In this paper we examine if the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will have the ability to detect the immediate and short-term effects of a concave dish composite beam superlaser being fired at an Earth analog from an alien megastructure.