Giant/Red-Dwarf Binaries: New SETI Targets and Implications for Interstellar Migration
- Paper number
IAC-10.A4.1.9
- Author
Dr. Gregory L. Matloff, New York City College of Technology, United States
- Year
2010
- Abstract
Giant/Red-Dwarf Binaries: New SETI Targets and Implications for Interstellar Migration Dr. Gregory L. Matloff Associate Prof., Physics Dept., New York City College of Technology, 300 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA and Hayden Associate, American Museum of Natural History 79st St. and Central Park West, New York, NY, 10024-5192, USA Corresponding Member, International Academy of Astronautics, GMatloff@citytech.cuny.edu ABSTRACT If technologically advanced civilizations migrate from the vicinities of their dying stars, the solar-photon sail is a very viable propulsion system. Interstellar crossings that might require 2,000 years for departure from a Sun-like star might require only a few centuries if sail craft depart from larger and more luminous red giant stars. Unless such techniques as magnetic braking are applied, deceleration of such craft might only occur in systems including a giant star. Migrating species might therefore be found in binary- star systems containing widely separated giants and red dwarfs. They could use the giant star to decelerate and establish habitats near the very long-lived red dwarf star. Star catalogues were consulted to locate candidate stars within 150 light years of the Sun for possible SETI searches. Candidate stars within 100 light years include Beta Acquila, Epsilon Cygnus, Alpha Taurus and Theta Ursa Major. Because giant stars typically live for 100 million years and red dwarfs may exist for a trillion years on the Main Sequence, another class of possible SETI stars are white-dwarf/red-dwarf binaries. The nearest candidate star in this class is 40 Eridani at 16.4 light years from the Sun.- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
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