The recent paper titled "Arecibo Wow! I: An Astrophysical Explanation for the Wow! Signal" identifies several dimmer signals similar to the Wow! Signal, attributed to interstellar clouds of cold hydrogen (HI) emitting narrowband signals at 10 kHz. These signals, while less intense, suggest that the original Wow! Signal may have resulted from stimulated emission due to transient radiation sources like magnetar flares or soft gamma repeaters (SGRs). This hypothesis not only explains the properties of the Wow! Signal but also introduces potential false positives in technosignature searches, indicating that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence remains ongoing.
PREREQUISITESAstronomers, astrophysicists, and researchers interested in radio astronomy, as well as enthusiasts exploring the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
We report the detection of narrowband signals (10 kHz) near the hydrogen line similar to the Wow! Signal, although two-orders of magnitude less intense and in multiple locations. Despite the similarities, these signals are easily identifiable as due to interstellar clouds of cold hydrogen (HI) in the galaxy. We hypothesize that the Wow! Signal was caused by sudden brightening from stimulated emission of the hydrogen line due to a strong transient radiation source, such as a magnetar flare or a soft gamma repeater (SGR). These are very rare events that depend on special conditions and alignments, where these clouds might become much brighter for seconds to minutes. The original source or the cloud might not be detectable, depending on the sensitivity of the telescope. The precise location of the Wow! Signal might be determined by searching for transient radio sources behind the cold hydrogen clouds in the corresponding region.
Our hypothesis explains all observed properties of the Wow! Signal, proposes a new source of false positives in technosignature searches, and suggests that the Wow! Signal could be the first recorded event of an astronomical maser flare in the hydrogen line.