Seeing Dyson Civilizations
In summary, the circumstellar shells of Dyson civilizations-at temperatures ~300 degrees K and radii ~1 a.u.--can be detected with existing telescopes and state-of-the-art infrared detectors in the 8-13-u window out to distances of several hundred parsecs. But discrimination of Dyson civilizations from naturally occurring low-temperature objects is very difficult, unless Dyson civilizations have some further distinguishing feature, such as monochromatic radio-frequency emission.
Notes:
How difficult would it be to detect their heat signature?
Folksonomies: astronomy extraterrestrials
Taxonomies:
/technology and computing/consumer electronics/camera and photo equipment/telescopes (0.414114)
/technology and computing (0.185338)
/home and garden/appliances (0.134346)
Keywords:
dyson civilizations (0.999315 (negative:-0.528117)), Dyson civilizations-at temperatures (0.895866 (neutral:0.000000)), monochromatic radio-frequency emission (0.776211 (negative:-0.418244)), state-of-the-art infrared detectors (0.749521 (neutral:0.000000)), circumstellar shells (0.576956 (neutral:0.000000)), heat signature (0.521870 (negative:-0.606129)), low-temperature objects (0.510388 (negative:-0.577997)), distinguishing feature (0.487257 (negative:-0.400223)), 8-13-u window (0.459942 (neutral:0.000000)), distances (0.280849 (neutral:0.000000)), telescopes (0.269101 (neutral:0.000000)), discrimination (0.267490 (negative:-0.577997)), degrees (0.261722 (neutral:0.000000)), summary (0.246342 (neutral:0.000000)), a.u. (0.245433 (neutral:0.000000))
Entities:
Dyson:Person (0.882987 (negative:-0.400223)), hundred parsecs:Quantity (0.882987 (neutral:0.000000)), 300 degrees:Quantity (0.882987 (neutral:0.000000))
Concepts:
Thermal radiation (0.902049): dbpedia | freebase
Heat (0.782000): dbpedia | freebase
Temperature (0.747274): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
The Infrared Detectability of Dyson Civilizations
