Free Astronomy Magazine September-October 2024

dynamicpropertiescompatiblewith the presence of alien megastruc- tures. To harmonize and cross-refer- ence the information contained in the different databases, the team hadtodevelopacomplexprocedure with various filters through which the data from about five million sources passed. This first phase al- lowed them to identify a series of potential candidates that show an excess of in- frared radiation not ap- parently attributable to any natural source. Asecondscreeningmainly concerned the detection of strong H-alpha emis- sion lines and variability in the visible spectra of thepotentialcandidates. TheH-alphaemissionline wasselectedasawayto remove a candidate be- causeitisasignificantsig- nal in the residual pro- tostellar disks of mostly youngstars,thoseun- likely to host a species old or ad- vanced enough to build a megas- tructure. The variability in visible light for a candidate was used as a filter for the same reason, as such behavior is expected from veryyoung stellar objects, whereas only very accentuated and possibly regu- lar light curves would be compatible with orbiting megastructures. Aftersubjectingtheapproximately fivemillionsourcestothesevarious filters, the team led by Suazo was leftwithonly368targets.Ofthese, however, 328 were not resolvable assingleobjectsbutratherappeared asamixtureofsources.Another29 showed irregular variability, and a furtherfourturnedouttobenebu- lar.Attheendofthelongselection ﻣﺠﻠﺔ FreeAstronomy ﺎﻟﻌﺮ ﺔ 9 - ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ﺃﻛﺘﻮﺑﺮ 2 0 2 4 ﺻـﻮرة ـﻟــ ﺤﻠﻘﺔ اﻟـﻨ ﻢ اﻟـــﺤﻮت ﻓـﻢ ﻓـﻲ اﻟﻀـﻮء اﻟﻤﺮـﻲ اﻟﻤﻨﺘﺸـﺮوﻓــﻲ اﻷﺷـﻌﺔ ﺗﺤــﺖ اﻟـ ـ ــﺪة ﻋﻨـﺪ ﻤﺮاء اﻟ ﻌ 70 ﻣ ﻜـﺮوﻣ وﻓــﻲ اﻻﻧ ﻌـﺎث اﻟــ ـ ﺤﺮاريﻋﻨـﺪ 1.3 ﻣﻠـﻢ ـﺎس ﺗﻤﺜـﻞ أﺷـﺮﻃﺔ اﻟﻤﻘ 50 ـﺔ وﺣـﺪة ﻓﻠﻜ . ﻋـ ﻋﻠﻴﻬـﺎ ﻓﺮ ـﻖﺳـﻮا ـﻮن اﻷﻧﻈﻤــﺔ اﻟﺴـ ﻌﺔ اﻟﻤﺮﺷـﺤﺔ اﻟــ ﻤﻜـﻦ أن ﺗ زو ﻫــﻲ أﻧﻈﻤـﺔ ﻣﺸـﺎﺑﻬﺔ ﻟﻬــﺬا اﻟﻨﻈـﺎم واﻟــ ﺗ ﻮن ﻣﺸﺮﻗﺔ ﺸ ﻞ ﺧﺎصﻓﻲ اﻷﺷﻌﺔ ﺗﺤﺖ اﻟ ـ ﻤﺮاء وﺳﺘ ﻮن ﻫﻨﺎك ﺣﺎﺟﺔ إﻟ ﻰﻣﺰ ﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺘﺤﻘ ﻘﺎت اﻟﻄ ﻔ ﺔ ﻟﺘﺄﻛ ﺪ ذﻟﻚ . ـــﺪروﺟ اﻟﻬ أﻟﻔـــﺎ ﻳ ﻠـــﻎ ﻃﻮﻟـــﮫ اﻟﻤــــﻮﺟﻲ 656.28 ــﺎﻟﻠﻮن اﻷ ﻤــﺮ ﻧـﺎﻧﻮﻣ و ﻈﻬــﺮ وﻫــﻮ ﻘﺎﺑﻞ اﻧﺘﻘﺎل اﻹﻟﻜـ ون ﻣـﻦ اﻟـ ـ ﺤﺎﻟﺔ ذات اﻟﻌـﺪد اﻟ ﻤﻲ اﻟﺮ ﺴﻲ n = 3 إﻟﻰ اﻟ ـ ﺤﺎﻟﺔ ذات اﻟﻌﺪد n = 2 ـــﺪروﺟ ﻓــﻲ ذرة اﻟﻬ . ﺗﻨ ﻌــﺚﺻـــﻮرة ﻄـــــﻮل ﻣﻮﺟـــــﺔ ﻳ ﻠــــــﻎ 656.28 ﻧـــــﺎﻧﻮﻣ ﻣﻨﺘﺠــــــﺔ ﺎً ﺧﻄــــــ ــــــ ﻟــــــﮫ ﺎً ﻃ ﻔ أﻃــــــﻮل ﻃــــــﻮل ﻣــــــﻮﺟﻲﻓــــــﻲ ﺳﻠﺴﻠﺔ ﺎﻟﻤﺮ . إذا رﺻﺪ أﺣﺪ اﻟﻨﺠﻮم اﻟﻤﺤﺘﻤﻠـﺔ ﻟﻜــﺮة دا ﺴـــﻮن ﻫـــﺬا اﻟﻨـــﻮع ﻣـــﻦ اﻻﻧ ﻌـــﺎث ﻓﻤـــﻦ اﻟﻤﺤﺘﻤــــــﻞ ﺟـــــــﺪ أن اً ـــــــﻮن ﻧ ﻤــــــ ﻳ ﺎً ﺎً ﺷـــــــﺎ ﻣﺤﺎﻃًـــــــﺎ وﻟﺪ ﻣﻨـﮫ ﺑ ﻘﺎ ﺎ اﻟﻐﺎز واﻟﻐ ﺎراﻟﺬ . ﻓـﻲﻫـﺬﻩ ـ اﻟـ ﺤﺎﻟﺔ ﻻ ُﻌـﺰى اﻧ ﻌـﺎث اﻷﺷـﻌﺔ ﺗﺤـﺖ اﻟــ ـ ﻤﺮاء اﻟﺰاﺋﺪ إﻟﻰ ﻨ ﺔ ﻋﻤﻼﻗﺔ ﻏﺮ ﺔ . دﻳﻨﺎﻣﻴﻜﻴ ـﺔ ﻣﺘﻮ اﻓﻘـﺔ ﻣ ـﻊ وﺟــﻮد ﻫﻴﺎﻛ ـﻞ ﻋﻤﻼﻗﺔ ﻏﺮﻳﺒﺔ وﻣﻦ أﺟﻞ ﺗﻨﺴـﻴﻖ ا ﻌﻠﻮﻣـﺎت اﻟﻮاردة ﰲ ﻗﻮاﻋﺪ اﻟﺒﻴﺎﻧﺎت ا ﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ و ﻣﻘﺎرﻧﺘﻬﺎ ﻛـﺎن ﻋــﲆ اﻟﻔﺮﻳــﻖ ﺗﻄـﻮﻳﺮ إﺟـﺮاء ﻣﻌﻘــﺪ ﺑﺎﺳــﺘﺨﺪام ﻣﺮﺷـﺤﺎت ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻔـﺔ ﺗﻤـﺮ ﻣـﻦ ﺧﻼﻟﻬﺎ اﻟﺒﻴﺎﻧﺎت ﻣﻦ ﺣـﻮاﱄ ﺧﻤﺴـﺔ ﻣﻼﻳـ . ﻣﺼﺪر أﺗﺎﺣﺖ ﻟﻬﻢ ﻫﺬه ا ﺮﺣﻠﺔ اﻷوﱃ ﺗ ﺤﺪﻳﺪ ﺳﻠﺴﻠﺔ ﻣﻦ ا ﺮﺷﺤﺎت ا ﺔ ﺤﺘﻤﻠ ﺗُﻈﻬﺮ ﻓﺎﺋﻀ ﺎً ﻣﻦ اﻷﺷﻌﺔ ﺗﺤﺖ اﻟﺤﻤﺮاء ﻓﺎن ذﻟﻚ ﻻ ﻳُﻌـﺰى ــــ ﻋ ـﲆ ﻣ ـﺎ ﻳﺒ ـﺪو إﱃ أي ﻣﺼ ـﺪر . ﻃﺒﻴﻌـﻲ ﻟﻘـﺪ ﻛـﺎن اﻟﻔﺤـﺺ اﻟﺜـﺎﻧﻲ ﻳﺘﻌﻠـﻖ ﺑﺸـﻜﻞ أﺳـﺎﳼ ﺑﺎﻛﺘﺸــﺎف ﺧﻄــﻮط اﻧﺒﻌــﺎث ﻫﻴﺪروﺟ أﻟﻔﺎ اﻟﻘﻮﻳﺔ واﻟﺘﺒﺎﻳﻦ ﰲ اﻷﻃﻴﺎف ا ﺮﺋﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﻤﺮﺷـﺤﺎت ا ﺤﺘﻤﻠ . ﺔ ﻟﻘﺪ ﺗﻢ اﺧﺘﻴـﺎر ﺧـﻂ إرﺳﺎل أﻟﻔـﺎ ﻫﻴـﺪروﺟ ﺑﻌﻴـﺪاً ﻹزاﻟﺔ ﻣﺮﺷﺢ ﻷﻧﻪ إﺷﺎرة ﻣﻬﻤـﺔ ﰲ اﻷﻗ ـﺮاص اﻟﻨﺠﻤﻴ ـﺔ اﻷوﻟﻴ ـﺔ ا ﺘﺒﻘﻴــﺔ ﻟﻠﻨﺠــﻮم اﻟﺸــﺎﺑﺔ ﰲ اﻟﻐﺎﻟﺐ ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﺘﻲ ﻟﻴﺴـﺖ ﺧـﺎرج اﻟﻨﺠﻮم . ﻳﺤﺘﻤﻞ أن ﺗﺴﺘﻀﻴﻒ ﻧﻮﻋًﺎ ﻗﺪﻳﻤًﺎ أو ﻣﺘﻘﺪﻣًﺎ ﺑﻤﺎ ﻳﻜﻔﻲ ﻟﺒﻨﺎء ﺑﻨﻴﺔ . ﺿﺨﻤﺔ ﺗـﻢ اﺳـﺘﺨﺪام اﻟﺘﺒـﺎﻳﻦ ﰲ اﻟﻀـﻮء ا ﺮﺋﻲ ﺮﺷﺢ ﻣﺎ ﻛﻤﺮﺷـﺢ ﻟـﻨﻔﺲ اﻟﺴـﺒﺐ، ﺣﻴـﺚ أن ﻣﺜـﻞ ﻫـﺬا اﻟﺴـﻠﻮك ﻣﺘﻮﻗـ ﻊ ﻣـﻦ اﻷﺟﺴﺎم اﻟﻨﺠﻤﻴﺔ اﻟﺼﻐ ة ﺟـﺪ اً ﰲ ﺣـ أن ﻣﻨﺤﻨﻴﺎت اﻟﻀـﻮء ﺷـﺪﻳﺪة اﻟﻮﺿـﻮح ورﺑﻤـﺎ ا ﻨﺘﻈﻤﺔ ﻓﻘﻂ ﻫﻲ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺳـﺘﻜﻮن ﻣﺘﻮاﻓﻘـﺔ ﻣﻊ اﻟﻬﻴﺎﻛﻞ اﻟ ﻀﺨﻤﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺪور ﺣﻮﻟ .ﻪ ﺑﻌﺪ إﺧﻀﺎع ﻣﺎ ﻳﻘﺮب ﻣـﻦ ﺧﻤﺴـﺔ ﻣﻼﻳـ ﻣﺼﺪر ﻟﻬﺬه ا ﺮﺷﺤﺎت ا ﺨﺘﻠﻔـﺔ، ﻟـﻢ ﻳﺘﺒـﻖ ﻟﺪى ،ـــ ــ ﻟﺪى اﻟﻔﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﺬي ﻳﻘﻮده ﺳﻮازو ﺳـﻮى 368 . ﻫﺪﻓًﺎ وﻣﻊ ذﻟﻚ، ﻟﻢ ﺗﻜﻦ 328 ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﻛﺎﺋﻨـﺎت ﻣﻨﻔﺮدة ﻗﺎﺑﻠﺔ ﻟﻠﺘﺤﺪﻳﺪ ﺑﻞ ﻇﻬﺮت ﻛﺨﻠﻴﻂ ﻣﻦ ا ﺼﺎدر وأﻇﻬﺮت 29 أﺧﺮى ﺗﻘﻠﺒ ﺎً ﻢ ﻏ ﻣﻨﺘﻈ وﺗﺒ أن أرﺑﻌـﺔ أﺧـﺮى ﻛﺎﻧـﺖ ﺳـﺪﻳﻤﻴﺔ ﰲ . ﻧﻬﺎﻳﺔ ﻋﻤﻠﻴﺔ اﻻﺧﺘﻴﺎر اﻟﻄﻮﻳﻠـﺔ، ﺗـﻢ اﻟﻌﺜـﻮر ﻋﲆ ﺳﺒﻌﺔ أﺟﺴﺎم ﻧﺠﻤﻴـﺔ ﻓﻘـﻂ ﻣﺮﺷـﺤﺔ ﻟﻜﺮات داﻳﺴﻮن ﻣـﻊ ﻋـﺪم إﻣﻜﺎﻧﻴـﺔ ﻧﺴـﺐ ﻣﺴﺘﻮﻳﺎت اﻧﺒﻌﺎث اﻷﺷـﻌﺔ ﺗﺤـﺖ اﻟﺤﻤـﺮاء ـــــ