The cradle of life |
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Authors: | T. Joseph W. Lazio Jill C. Tarter D.J. Wilner |
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Affiliation: | aNaval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave. SW, Washington, DC, USA;bThe SETI Institute; 515 N. Whisman Road, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA;cHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA |
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Abstract: | The emerging field of bioastronomy is beginning to address one of the oldest questions in science and philosophy: Are we alone? By virtue of its sheer sensitivity, high frequency coverage, and long baselines, the SKA will play a pivotal role in bioastronomical studies. It will be a unique instrument with the capability to image proto-planetary disks in nearby star-forming regions and monitor the evolution of structures within those disks (“movies of planetary formation”). It will also be able to assess the extent to which interstellar molecules are incorporated into proto-planetary disks. It will also be able to reach qualitatively new levels of sensitivity in the search for intelligence elsewhere in the Galaxy, including for the first time the realistic possibility of detecting unintentional emissions or “leakage” (such as from TV transmitters) from nearby stars. |
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