An analysis of the WOW signal

[Venusian Broon]

As ever, a high quality video from Cool worlds about an enigmatic subject

 

[THX1138]

So, If we look at this from an Astronomical view with no opinion of if this is a real life transition or natural cosmic phenomenon, we need to consider the clock work of the Universe; we rotate around the Sun, the solar system moves through the Orion Arm, that rotates around our galactic core, that is rotating. So a clock moving within a clock, moving within a clock, moving within, a clock moving within a clock sent at light speed... Try that as a sharp shooter! Makes WW1/2 navel battels or WW1/2 fighters battels look like nothing!

It's a fractal merry-go-round! Add in magnetic clouds, dust and other radiation. Plus the source power strength, frequency/band width, angle width of transition and time of arrival.

If it was from an intelligent life form, that may be it (they are moving too). But if it is from a natural source, we may hear some aspect of it again.
I know there are advance math and Astrophysics types here that can do the mathematical calculations for this, but from my view, we may never know, unless is repeats at the same frequencies and strength, sooner than expected.

 

[Venusian Broon]

So, If we look at this from an Astronomical view with no opinion of if this is a real life transition or natural cosmic phenomenon, we need to consider the clock work of the Universe; we rotate around the Sun, the solar system moves through the Orion Arm, that rotates around our galactic core, that is rotating. So a clock moving within a clock, moving within a clock, moving within, a clock moving within a clock sent at light speed... Try that as a sharp shooter! Makes WW1/2 navel battels or WW1/2 fighters battels look like nothing!

Not really. The stars they are observing that the wow signal came from are not really moving that much relative to us, because they are in the same galactic arm/space as us and are moving roughly in step with the Sun. Star constellations remain identifiable over thousands, probably hundreds of thousands of years - Orion's 'hands' and 'legs' don't wave all over the place! (Although yes, over a long enough time they will deform as the stars will 'move out of position')

A satellite in L2 or trailing the Earth could easily observe those patches of stars constantly if required. An observatory on Earth has to contend with Earth's rotation, but you can chain observatories around the globe to ensure constant surveillance, if that was what was required.

If it was from an intelligent life form, that may be it (they are moving too). But if it is from a natural source, we may hear some aspect of it again.
I know there are advance math and Astrophysics types here that can do the mathematical calculations for this, but from my view, we may never know, unless is repeats at the same frequencies and strength, sooner than expected.

Well the video does calculated the odds that it is a repeating signal, based on further observations that have taken place - and they calculate that it comes out at it being a 1.8% chance that it will repeat.

I think it likely that further observation will, unfortunately, cut these odds even further ...but you never know, it may be found again.

Interestingly finding out what it was, either natural or not would be fascinating either way. Obliviously if it was of intelligent design, mind-blowing. But if it turns out it a natural phenomenon, it is so odd, being narrow-band that it must be a very unusual process that produced it.

That's a win either way. Although we need to observe further Wow signals to find out!

 

[Astro Pen]

It is frustrating that we have no way of knowing if it was modulated. It still exists but 45 light years away, unreachable of course.
But the lateral thinker in me says don't look for the signal itself but look in the opposite direction for a RESPONSE.

Any civilisation capable of responding will do so on the recieved frequency and bandwidth and we know the approximate direction the return signal would need to pass through us.
How long that path and directionality will remain valid depends on the physical motions of the 'caller' and 'responder'.
But although it has passed us, it has not passed everyone and the signal strength remains. Any reply would be more persistent because it is a not random sweep, like the wow, it is being replied to a known direction.

 

[Wayne Mack]

It is frustrating that we have no way of knowing if it was modulated. It still exists but 45 light years away, unreachable of course.
But the lateral thinker in me says don't look for the signal itself but look in the opposite direction for a RESPONSE.

Two things. If a signal has traveled 45 lightyears to reach Earth from point A, then it still has to travel considerable lightyears to point B and then the return signal would have to travel the same distance to Earh. If, however, the detected signal was a response to B, the request from the opposite direction came 90 years ago. A better hope is that the response comes from the general area of the first signal and would reach us with only the time lag between points A and B.

 

[Astro Pen]

Two things. If a signal has traveled 45 lightyears to reach Earth from point A, then it still has to travel considerable lightyears to point B and then the return signal would have to travel the same distance to Earh. If, however, the detected signal was a response to B, the request from the opposite direction came 90 years ago. A better hope is that the response comes from the general area of the first signal and would reach us with only the time lag between points A and B.

I think wires are getting crossed here. I am saying that we would currently be receiving responses from a responder physically 22.5 light years away leeside from the original transmission. (They would have replied 22.5 years ago.)

 

[THX1138]

Not really. The stars they are observing that the wow signal came from are not really moving that much relative to us, because they are in the same galactic arm/space as us and are moving roughly in step with the Sun. Star constellations remain identifiable over thousands, probably hundreds of thousands of years - Orion's 'hands' and 'legs' don't wave all over the place! (Although yes, over a long enough time they will deform as the stars will 'move out of position')

A satellite in L2 or trailing the Earth could easily observe those patches of stars constantly if required. An observatory on Earth has to contend with Earth's rotation, but you can chain observatories around the globe to ensure constant surveillance, if that was what was required.



Well the video does calculated the odds that it is a repeating signal, based on further observations that have taken place - and they calculate that it comes out at it being a 1.8% chance that it will repeat.

I think it likely that further observation will, unfortunately, cut these odds even further ...but you never know, it may be found again.

Interestingly finding out what it was, either natural or not would be fascinating either way. Obliviously if it was of intelligent design, mind-blowing. But if it turns out it a natural phenomenon, it is so odd, being narrow-band that it must be a very unusual process that produced it.

That's a win either way. Although we need to observe further Wow signals to find out!

I forgot about the relative stationary positions of the constellations, I knew that. Just lost my credibility as a long-time armature astronomer! (Too much sci-fi writing!)

 

[THX1138]

Do they know of any possible natural sources that might be in the same location or in the path of the signal, or might have traveled through the path?

 

[Astro Pen]

Sorry wrong thread (had two open)

 

[Venusian Broon]

Do they know of any possible natural sources that might be in the same location or in the path of the signal, or might have traveled through the path?

That's an interesting point - any top secret military project in orbit conceivably could interfere - and both the US and Soviets would be tight-lipped about anything that was there at the time. I presume someone has worked out if such a scenario could possibly explain the strength of the signal, but I have to hold my hand up and say I don't know!

 

[THX1138]

That's an interesting point - any top secret military project in orbit conceivably could interfere - and both the US and Soviets would be tight-lipped about anything that was there at the time. I presume someone has worked out if such a scenario could possibly explain the strength of the signal, but I have to hold my hand up and say I don't know!

What about interstellar, like mini black-holes or magnetic clouds or the likes? Some form of radio wave source out there? A quasar blast maybe? That could appear as an intelligent signal perhaps after traveling that long maybe?

 

[Venusian Broon]

What about interstellar, like mini black-holes or magnetic clouds or the likes? Some form of radio wave source out there?

Someone hypothesised that a comet in our system caused the signal, but I believe the consensus, now, is that it is not the case. The problem is tying up the wavelength of the signal with any other physical cause. A blackhole, for example, should also produce X-rays that should be observable. Other radio wave sources do not 'look like' this signal, being wideband etc.

We have a 'toolkit' of objects that we've seen, and nothing, so far, fits the observation.

 

[THX1138]

Someone hypothesised that a comet in our system caused the signal, but I believe the consensus, now, is that it is not the case. The problem is tying up the wavelength of the signal with any other physical cause. A blackhole, for example, should also produce X-rays that should be observable. Other radio wave sources do not 'look like' this signal, being wideband etc.

We have a 'toolkit' of objects that we've seen, and nothing, so far, fits the observation.

Then it does sound like something!

 

[Foxbat]

A blackhole, for example, should also produce X-rays

I have always found it surprising the similarities between this and x ray emission at the sub atomic level. An electron emits an x ray when it passes in the vicinity of a highly charged nucleus or particle (Bremsstrahlung) and objects within the gravitational field of a black hole (as I understand it) do the same.

I know it’s two different mechanisms but I’m always amazed that despite working on completely different scales how similar they are. With that in mind, perhaps the answer to Wow lies somewhere inside a microverse.