Search for Dyson rings around pulsars: unexpected light curves

TL;DR

This paper explores complex light curves from hypothetical Dyson rings around pulsars, caused by superluminal pulsar beam spot speeds, which could reveal new detection methods for such structures.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of complex light curves resulting from superluminal effects on pulsar beam spots, expanding the potential signatures of Dyson rings.

Findings

Superluminal pulsar beam spots can produce multiple images.

Complex light curves may include bright creation and annihilation events.

Previously unnoticed Dyson rings might be detectable through these signatures.

Abstract

Finding Dyson rings around distant pulsars may involve identifying light curve features that have not been previously identified. Previous studies covered the detection of a ring structure uniformly brightened by the central pulsar, mostly in infrared light. Here, more complex light curves are explored, which arise inherently from the pulsar beam spot's commonly predicted superluminal speed. These speeds may cause multiple images of the pulsar's spot on the Dyson ring to appear simultaneously to a distant observer, and so feature bright creation and annihilation events. Therefore, it is possible that even if Dyson ring structures had been observed previously, they might have remained unnoticed. Similar light curve features may appear on naturally occurring dust rings around pulsars that reflect detectable pulsar radiation.