Could FRBs Power Extraterrestrial Light Sails?

[jim mcnamara]

This discusses a speculative question - can FRB's be an extraterrestrial source of radio pulses used for interstellar travel?

https://arxiv.org/abs/1701.01109
Fast Radio Bursts from Extragalactic Light Sails
Manasvi Lingam, Abraham Loeb
Abstract

We examine the possibility that Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) originate from the activity of extragalactic civilizations. Our analysis shows that beams used for powering large light sails could yield parameters that are consistent with FRBs. The characteristic diameter of the beam emitter is estimated through a combination of energetic and engineering constraints, and both approaches intriguingly yield a similar result which is on the scale of a large rocky planet. Moreover, the optimal frequency for powering the light sail is shown to be similar to the detected FRB frequencies. These `coincidences' lend some credence to the possibility that FRBs might be artificial in origin. Other relevant quantities, such as the characteristic mass of the light sail, and the angular velocity of the beam, are also derived. By using the FRB occurrence rate, we infer upper bounds on the rate of FRBs from extragalactic civilizations in a typical galaxy. The possibility of detecting fainter signals is briefly discussed, and the wait time for an exceptionally bright FRB event in the Milky Way is estimated.

This seems pretty far out. Is it common to get something this speculative published? I think arxiv exists, in a small way, as an outlet for this type of paper.

 

[phyzguy]

When you are someone with a reputation like Avi Loeb, you can publish what you please on arXiv. I thought the idea was intriguing, and their analysis seems well thought out. It's probably unlikely, but not impossible.