Gravitational Lensing Extends SETI Range

Abstract

Microwave SETI (The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) focuses on two primary strategies, the “Targeted Search” and the “All-Sky Survey.” Although the goal of both strategies is the unequivocal discovery of a signal transmitted by intelligent species outside our solar system, they pursue the strategies in very different manners and have vastly different requirements. This chapter introduces Gravitational Lensing SETI (GL-SETI), a third strategy. Its goal is the unequivocal discovery of an extraterrestrial signal, with equipment and data processing requirements that are substantially different from the commonly-used strategies. This strategy is particularly suitable for use with smaller radio telescopes and has budgetary requirements suitable for individual researchers.