A proposed signal discovery method in interstellar communication

TL;DR

This paper presents a new measurement method for detecting narrowband pulse pairs in interstellar signals, demonstrating statistically significant observations that challenge Gaussian noise assumptions and suggest potential extraterrestrial sources.

Contribution

The work introduces a novel measurement approach that enhances detection power and reduces bias in interstellar signal experiments, with significant observational results over 92 days.

Findings

Detection of pulse pairs with high statistical significance

Falsification of Gaussian noise hypothesis in observed signals

Potential indication of extraterrestrial signals near Rigel

Abstract

Experiments conducted since 2018, using three geographically spaced synchronized radio telescopes, and a radio interferometer, indicate the presence of anomalous narrow bandwidth pulse pairs, conjectured to be sourced from a celestial direction near the star Rigel. Many explanatory hypotheses are possible. In the current work, a measurement method is proposed and implemented to attempt to provide high levels of statistical power of narrowband pulse pair observations, while minimizing interferometer instrument adjustments that might bias the experiment. Using the proposed method, twenty pulse pairs having statistical power at 5 to 10 standard deviations, and one pulse pair at 22 standard deviations of mean shift of pulse pair count, were observed in the prior celestial direction range, while using other celestial directions as an experimental comparison group. High levels of standard deviations of pulse pair count mean shift, observed in this 92 day experiment, imply the falsification of a Gaussian noise hypothesis. Alternate and auxiliary hypotheses, and further experiments, are sought to try to explain the narrow bandwidth pulsed signals.