All sky laser seti

[tmazanec1]

From https://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=38100
I always figured ETI would be more likely to use lasers than radio, since the speed is the same and the baud rate orders of magnitude higher. Following this logic, do OA civilizations communicate with gamma rays?
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[tmazanec1]

Maybe this project will pick up natural phenomena as well, like GRBs and FRBs. It is looking at the sky in a new way.

[Drashner1]

Hm. Missed this when it was first posted somehow.

I've seen various things on laser SETI over the years. It does seem like a more likely option when compared against our current very data heavy world.

Re whether or not Terragens communicate via gamma ray lasers - the answer is yes, sometimes. The two main interstellar communication systems are the Lightways, which sometimes use gamma ray frequencies, and the Known Net, which uses gamma ray lasers to transmit data through comm-gauge wormholes.

Hope this helps,

Todd

[AmrlKJaneway]

Communication via laser would be really direct, would it not? As in, the signal would be fired in a strait line from the sender directly to the receiver? Unlike radio which is broad and comes out in a sphere in all directions right? I don't know much about all this stuff, but if aliens were using lasers to communicate, would this be why we can't detect their signals? Because we are not in the line of communication, or the signal is not being sent directly to us?

[stevebowers]

That's right. A laser message, or any kind of collimated(focused) beam, would be just about invisible to anyone not at the intended target. There are two possible reasons that we could pick up a signal - firstly, if the aliens deliberately try to target us with a message; they might periodically send messages to a list of target stars. Alternately we might be lucky and get in the beam of a message not intended for us. The most likely reason for this could be that they are targeting a ship which is already in our system, or a monitoring station that has been here since time immemorial.

[selden]

Radio beams can be directed, whether focused as they are when used for radar, or by using the same phenomena as are used to generate laser beams (aka masers).

Laser beams can be detected off to the side if there's enough matter (dust clouds) in the way to cause scattering of some of the photons. Of course, the signal level would be far lower than if you were in the line-of-sight.

[Rynn]

That's right. A laser message, or any kind of collimated(focused) beam, would be just about invisible to anyone not at the intended target. There are two possible reasons that we could pick up a signal - firstly, if the aliens deliberately try to target us with a message; they might periodically send messages to a list of target stars.  Alternately we might be lucky and get in the beam of a message not intended for us. The most likely reason for this could be that they are targeting a ship which is already in our system, or a monitoring station that has been here since time immemorial.

Or more likely backscatter from interstellar dust and other objects, or dispersed beams that passed their target long ago.