Panoramic optical and near-infrared SETI instrument: optical and structural design concepts

17 Aug 2018  ·  Maire Jérôme a, Wright Shelley A. a, b, Cosens Maren a, b, Antonio Franklin c, Aronson Michael d, Chaim-Weismann Samuel A. e, Drake Frank D. f, Horowitz Paul g, Howard Andrew W. h, Marcy Geoffrey W. e, Raffanti Rick i, Siemion Andrew P. V. e, f, j, k, Stone Remington P. S. l, Treffers Richard R. m, Uttamchandani Avinash n, Werthimer Dan e, o ·

We propose a novel instrument design to greatly expand the current optical and near-infrared SETI search parameter space by monitoring the entire observable sky during all observable time. This instrument is aimed to search for technosignatures by means of detecting nano- to micro-second light pulses that could have been emitted, for instance, for the purpose of interstellar communications or energy transfer. We present an instrument conceptual design based upon an assembly of 198 refracting 0.5-m telescopes tessellating two geodesic domes. This design produces a regular layout of hexagonal collecting apertures that optimizes the instrument footprint, aperture diameter, instrument sensitivity and total field-of-view coverage. We also present the optical performance of some Fresnel lenses envisaged to develop a dedicated panoramic SETI (PANOSETI) observatory that will dramatically increase sky-area searched (pi steradians per dome), wavelength range covered, number of stellar systems observed, interstellar space examined and duration of time monitored with respect to previous optical and near-infrared technosignature finders.

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Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics