Free Astronomy Magazine September-October 2024

process, only seven stellar objects were found to be candidates for Dyson spheres, with infrared emis- sionlevelsnotclearlyattributableto astrophysical processes. The researchers write: “All sources areclearmid-infraredemitterswith noclearcontaminatorsorsignatures that indicate an obvious mid-in- frared origin. The presence of warm debris disks surrounding our candi- dates remains a plausible explana- tion for the infrared excess of our sources.” Theyadd: “Afteranalyzing theoptical/NIR/MIRphotometryof ~5x10 6 sources, we found seven ap- parent M dwarfs exhibiting an in- frared excess of unclear nature that iscompatiblewithourDysonsphere models.Therearenaturalexplana- tionsfortheexcessinfraredcoming fromtheseseven,butnoneofthem clearlyexplainssuchaphenomenon in the candidates, especially given that all are M dwarfs.” Effectively,thesevencandidateob- jectsappeartobereddwarfs(orM dwarfs, if you prefer), and it is known that dust and debris disks aroundthistypeofstarareveryrare. Furthermore,theyformandpresent themselvesdifferentlythanthedisks ofmoremassivestars.Allinall,these candidatesdonotseemtohavethe propertiesnecessarytoproducethe quantity of infrared radiation de- tected based on natural origins alone.OnlyanEDD(ExtremeDebris Disk) could explain the infrared ex- cessofthesevencandidates,butthis typeofdiskhasneverbeenobserved around red dwarfs. Aside from the fact that (as high- lightedbySuazoandcolleagues)fur- ther spectroscopic analyses will be needed to resolve the issue, the probabilistic percentage that one or more candidates are Dyson spheres willhardlybegreaterthanzero.Itis well known that red dwarfs, with their frequent and very intense flares,areabsolutelyhostiletolifeas we know it. Planets orbiting in the habitablezoneofareddwarf,there- fore very close to the star (given the small mass of the latter), are bom- bardedforhundredsofmillionsor ﻣﺠﻠﺔ FreeAstronomy ﺎﻟﻌﺮ ﺔ 10 - ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ﺃﻛﺘﻮﺑﺮ 2 0 2 4 أﻣﺜﻠــﺔ ــﺔ ﻓــﻲ ﺑﺤــﺚ ﻓﺮ ــﻖﺳــﻮازو ﻋﻠــﻰ اﻟﻌﻮاﻣــﻞ اﻟﻤﺮ ﻜــﺔ اﻟﻨﻤﻮذﺟ . ﻌــﺮض اﻟﺼــﻒ اﻟﻌﻠــﻮيﻣﺼــﺎدرﻣــﻦ ﻓﺌــﺔ ﺑ ﻠــﺪز ، وﻣﺼــﺎدراﻟﺼــﻒ اﻷوﺳــﻂ اﻟﻤﻀــﻤﻨﺔ ﻓـــﻲ ﺗﻘــﻊ ﺿـﻤﻦ اﻟﻔﺌــﺔ ﻣﻨـﺎﻃﻖ إﻳﺒـﻮﻻر، وﺣـﺎﻻت اﻟﺼـﻒ اﻟﺴــﻔﻠﻲ اﻟــ ﻏــ اﻟﻤﻨﺘﻈﻤـﺔ . ﻋﻠــﻰﻫــﺬﻩ اﻟﻤﻘـﺎﻳ ﺲ اﻟـ ﻻ ﻤﻜـﻦ اﻟﺘﻤﻴــ ﺑـ ـ ﺤﺎﻻت ﻏــ اﻟﻤﻨﺘﻈﻤــﺔ واﻟﺴــﺪ ﻤ ﺔ وﻟﻜﻦ ﻤﻜﻦ ﺗﺤﺪ ﺪ اﻟﻄﺒ ﻌﺔ اﻟﺴﺪ ﻤ ﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل ﻓﺤﺺ اﻟﺼﻮرﻋﻠﻰﻣﻘﺎﻳ ﺲ أﻛ . م. ] ﺳﻮازو وآﺧﺮون [. ﺑﺸﻜﻞ واﺿﺢ إﱃ ﻋﻤﻠﻴﺎت اﻟﻔﻴﺰﻳﺎء اﻟﻔﻠﻜﻴـﺔ . ﻳﻜﺘــﺐ اﻟﺒــﺎﺣﺜﻮن :» ﺟﻤﻴـﻊ ا ﺼــﺎدر ﻫـﻲ ﻣﺮﺳﻼت اﻷﺷ ﻌﺔ ﺗﺤﺖ اﻟﺤﻤـﺮاء ا ﺘﻮﺳـﻄﺔ اﻟﻮاﺿـﺤﺔ وﻻ ﺗﺤﺘــﻮي ﻋـﲆ أي ﻣﻠﻮﺛـﺎت أو ﺑﺼﻤﺎت واﺿﺤﺔ ﺗﺸـ إﱃ ﻣﺼـﺪر واﺿـ ﺢ ﻟﻸﺷﻌﺔ ﺗﺤﺖ اﻟﺤﻤﺮاء ا ﺘﻮﺳﻄﺔ . ﻳﻈﻞ وﺟﻮد أﻗﺮاص اﻟﺤﻄﺎم اﻟﺪاﻓﺌﺔ ا ﺤﻴﻄﺔ ﺑﻤﺮﺷﺤﻴﻨﺎ ﺗﻔﺴ ا ﻣﻌﻘﻮﻻ ﻟﻔﺎﺋﺾ اﻷﺷـﻌﺔ ﺗﺤﺖ اﻟﺤﻤﺮاء ﰲ ﻣﺼﺎدرﻧﺎ . وﻳﻀﻴﻔﻮن :” ﺑﻌﺪ ﺗﺤﻠﻴـﻞ اﻟﻘﻴـﺎس اﻟﻀـﻮﺋﻲ ـ اﻟﺒ ﴫي NIR/MIR ﺼﺎدر ~ 5x106 وﺟﺪﻧﺎ ﺳﺒﻌﺔ ﻧﺠﻮم أﻗـﺰام واﺿـﺤﺔ ﻣـﻦ اﻟﻨـﻮع M ﺗﻈﻬﺮ ﻓﺎﺋﻀ ﺎً ﻣﻦ اﻷﺷﻌﺔ ﺗﺤﺖ اﻟﺤﻤﺮاء ذات ﻃﺒﻴﻌﺔ ﻏ واﺿﺤﺔ ﺗﺘﻮاﻓﻖ ﻣﻊ ﻧﻤﺎذج ﻛـﺮة داﻳﺴـﻮن اﻟﺨﺎﺻـﺔ ﺑﻨـﺎ . ﻫﻨـﺎك ﺗﻔﺴـ ات ﻃﺒﻴﻌﻴـﺔ ﻟﻸﺷـﻌﺔ ﺗﺤـﺖ اﻟﺤﻤـﺮاء اﻟﺰاﺋـﺪة ــــــ اﻟﻘﺎدﻣﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬة اﻟﺴﺒﻌﺔ ﻟﻜﻦ ﻻ أﺣـﺪ ﻣﻨﻬـ ﺎ ـﻳ ﻔﴪ ﺑﻮﺿ ﻮح ﻣﺜـﻞ ﻫـﺬه اﻟﻈـﺎﻫﺮة ﻟـﺪى ا ﺮﺷﺤ ﻻ ﺳـﻴﻤﺎ ﺑـﺎﻟﻨﻈﺮ إﱃ أن ﺎ ﺟﻤﻴﻌﻬـ ﻧﺠﻮم اﻗﺰام اﻟ ﻣﻦ ﻔﺌﺔ M . ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﺎﺣﻴﺔ اﻟﻌﻤﻠﻴﺔ ﻓﺈن اﻷﺟﺴـﺎم اﻟﺴـﺒﻌﺔ ا ﺮﺷﺤﺔ ﺗﺒﺪو وﻛﺄﻧﻬﺎ أﻗﺰام ﺣﻤﺮاء ) أو أﻗﺰام M إذا ﻛﻨﺖ ﺗﻔﻀـﻞ ذﻟـﻚ ( ﻣـﻦ ا ﻌـﺮوف أن أﻗﺮاص اﻟﻐﺒﺎر واﻟﺤﻄﺎم ﺣ ﻮل ﻫﺬا اﻟﻨﻮع ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﺠﻮم ﻧﺎدرة ﺟﺪ اُ ﻋـﻼوة ﻋـﲆ ذﻟـﻚ ﻓﺈﻧﻬـﺎ ﺗﺘﺸﻜﻞ وﺗﻘﺪم ﻧﻔﺴﻬﺎ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻣﺨﺘ ﻠـﻒ ﻋـﻦ أﻗﺮاص اﻟﻨﺠﻮم اﻷﻛﺜﺮ ﺿﺨﺎﻣﺔ وﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻋـﺎم ﻻ ﻳﺒــﺪو أن ﻫــﺬه ا ﺮﺷــﺤ ﺎت ﻳﻤﺘﻠﻜــﻮن اﻟﺨﺼﺎﺋﺺ اﻟﻼزﻣـﺔ ﻹﻧﺘـﺎج ﻛﻤﻴـﺔ اﻷﺷـﻌﺔ ﺗﺤﺖ اﻟﺤﻤﺮاء ا ﻜﺘﺸﻔﺔ ﺑﻨـﺎءً ﻋـﲆ اﻷﺻـﻮل اﻟﻄﺒﻴﻌﻴﺔ وﺣـﺪﻫﺎ ) ﻘـﻂﻓ ﻗـﺮص اﻟﺤﻄـﺎم اﻟﺸﺪﻳﺪ ( ﻳﻤﻜﻨﻪ ﺗﻔﺴ زﻳﺎدة اﻷﺷﻌﺔ ﺗﺤـﺖ ــــ اﻟﺤﻤﺮاء ﻟﺪى ا ﺮﺷـﺤﺎت اﻟﺴـﺒﻊ ﻟﻜـﻦ ﻫـﺬا اﻟﻨﻮع ﻣﻦ اﻷﻗﺮاص ﻟﻢ ﻳـﺘﻢ ﺎ ﻠﻘـ ﻣﻄ رﺻـﺪه ﺣﻮل اﻷﻗﺰام اﻟﺤﻤﺮاء . وﺑﴫف اﻟﻨﻈﺮ ﻋﻦ ﺣﻘﻴﻘﺔ أﻧﻪ ) ﻛﻤﺎ أوﺿـﺢ ﺳﻮازو وزﻣﻼؤه ( ﺳﺘﻜﻮن ﻫﻨـﺎك ﺣﺎﺟـﺔ إﱃ ﻣﺰﻳﺪ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﺘﺤﻠﻴﻼت اﻟﻄﻴﻔﻴﺔ ﻟﺤـﻞ ا ﺸـﻜﻠﺔ ﻓﺈن اﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ا ﺌﻮﻳﺔ اﻻﺣﺘﻤﺎﻟﻴﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺸ إ ﱃ أن واﺣﺪاً أو أﻛﺜﺮ ﻣﻦ ا ﺮﺷ ﻦ ﻛـﺮات ﻫـ ﺤﺎت داﻳﺴﻮن ﻟﻦ ﺗﻜﻮن أﻛـﱪ ﻣـﻦ اﻟﺼـﻔﺮ وﻣـﻦ ا ﻌـﺮوف أن اﻷﻗـﺰام اﻟﺤﻤـﺮاء، ﺑﺘﻮ ﻫﺠﺎﺗﻬـﺎ ا ﺘﻜـﺮرة وا ﻜﺜﻔـﺔ ﻟﻠﻐﺎﻳـﺔ ﻣﻌﺎدﻳــﺔ ﺗﻤﺎﻣـ ﺎً ﻟﻠﺤﻴﺎة ﻛﻤﺎ ﻧﻌﺮﻓﻬﺎ . اﻟﻜﻮاﻛﺐ اﻟ ﺘـﻲ ﺗـﺪور ﰲ ا ﻨﻄﻘـﺔ اﻟﺼـﺎﻟﺤﺔ ﺤﻴﺎة ﻟﻠ ﻟﻠﻘﺰم اﻷﺣﻤﺮ ﺗﻜﻮن ﻗﺮﻳﺒﺔ ﺟـﺪ اً ﻣـﻦ اﻟﻨﺠﻢ ﺑﺎ) ﻟﻨﻈﺮ إﱃ اﻟﻜﺘﻠﺔ اﻟﺼـﻐ ة ﻟﻸﺧـ ( ﺗﺘﻌﺮض ﻟﻠﻘﺼﻒ ﺌﺎت ا ﻼﻳـ أو ﻣﻠﻴـﺎرات ـــ