From: skingsle@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Stuart A Kingsley)
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space
Subject: U.K. Optical SETI Talks - third announcement
Date: 14 Apr 92 21:25:13 GMT
Article-I.D.: magnus.CMM.0.90.2.703286713.skingsle
Organization: The Ohio State University


                   OPTICAL SETI TALKS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

From the author of the Optical SETI article that appeared in the January
1992 issue of THE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE
ATLANTIC (EJASA).

This is the third posting of my offer to newsgroup readers in the U.K. to
give a personal presentation on Optical SETI.  Each year during the late
Spring and early Summer I take an extended trip back to the U.K. to be with
my family, and to escape the worst of the Ohioan grass-pollen season.  Thus,
I will be in England from early May to the latter part of June.  British
newsgroup readers who would like to hear me talk about Optical SETI are
welcome to email me here with their request.  I will consider all
invitations, but I have a few stipulations:

1.  I would prefer to address audiences larger than fifty people.

2.  All my lecture material is in viewgraph form, so I would need an
    overhead projector.

3.  Since my talk is based on unfunded research work, I would expect to be
    reimbursed for all out of pocket expenses involved in travelling from my
    mother's North London home, and local accommodation if required.  While
    a small honorarium would be appreciated, it is not necessary.

4.  I will especially consider speaking to audiences of students,
    particularly those from my alma maters, i.e., The City University,
    London and University College London, and other London-based colleges.

5.  I would also be keen to speak before large astronomical societies and
    professional science/engineering organizations, e.g., IEE and IEEE
    groups.

6.  Student readers of this newsgroup who would like to arrange a talk,
    might like to consider approaching their faculty to see if they can put
    my lecture on a more official basis.  Universities with large Astronomy
    and Physics Departments should be very interested in this topic, as well
    as Electrical Engineering Departments with optoelectronic communications
    and sensing research activities.

7.  I can present both technical and semi-technical talks, depending on the
    type of audience.

8.  Because Optical SETI is a relatively new concept to the general public,
    even though it is an old idea, a talk of one hour duration is required
    to really do justice to the work.  A short introduction to
    conventional (microwave) SETI is also included.  Questions should be at
    the end of the talk, either as part of the one hour, or preferably in
    additional time.

9.  For those wishing to arrange or attend talks on his subject, from May 5
    (till June 25) I can be contacted at my South Tottenham home
    (43 Rostrevor Avenue, Tottenham, London N15 6LA) on 081-800-6152, or
    faxes may be sent to my sister's home on 081-518-2216.  If you can't
    reach me on 800-6152, try the Bournemouth number 0202-296377.  Do not
    use this U.K. contact information before May 5.  I am presently trying
    to obtain an account at University College London so that I can access
    my OSU email.  Thus, it might still be possible to contact me via the
    United States network.  Also, I will be calling into my own BBS
    [(614) 258-1710] on a regular basis, so email can be left for me there.
    It should also be possible to contact me via CompuServe.

Professor A.C. Davies (UDEE265@oak.cc.kcl.ac.uk) of King's College London
has made arrangements for me to give a talk to the London-based chapter of
the IEEE on Wednesday, June 17.  The talk will be at King's College in Room
2C at 5.30 pm.  I hope that between now and then more talks will be arranged
in other parts of the United Kingdom.  Contact me in London for further
information.


A short description of this talk and my biography now follows.  This
material may be used for advertizing flyers, if and when such talks are
arranged:


              THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE (SETI)
                            IN THE OPTICAL SPECTRUM

                                      by

                            Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley


                                    Summary

Over the years, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has
generated a lot of controversy both within and outside the scientific
community, not least because so far the "search" has been without success.
The conventional wisdom since the 1959 classic paper by Cocconi and Morrison
on Searching for Interstellar Communications, has been that the radio
frequency spectrum, particularly the quietest region of the electromagnetic
spectrum at or near the 21-cm hydrogen line, would be the best place to look
for signals.  This region of the microwave spectrum between the H and OH
resonance lines (1.420 - 1.612 GHz) is known as the water-hole.  On October
12 (Columbus Day), the SETI Community starts the search phase of the
Microwave Observing Project (MOP).  It is therefore an auspicious moment to
reassess the rationale for SETI.

This lecture re-examines the case for conducting the "search" in the optical
region of the spectrum, even though quantum noise and doppler shifts are
substantially greater at optical frequencies.  It also demolishes the
argument put forward by the late Asimov and others, that it is not possible
to "see" an extraterrestrial laser transmitter with the light of its star in
the background.  Despite these so-called problems, it is shown that the gain
afforded by the high ratio of antenna diameter to wavelength, more than
makes up for these deficiencies.  Such transmitters/receivers are
substantially smaller than their microwave counterparts, and are thus also
ideal for communication links for deep space probes and spaceships.

No claim is made that the idea of Optical SETI is in anyway original.
Indeed, it was first suggested by Schwartz and Townes (1964 Nobel laureate
for the laser) nearly 30 years ago in their paper "Interstellar and
Interplanetary Communication by Optical Masers".  However, Dr. Kingsley
finds it perplexing that the SETI community has largely ignored the optical
approach, and would have the general public believe that ETIs would not use
lasers for interstellar communications.  On a transmitter power basis, the
optical approach to SETI produces greater signal-to-noise ratios and
permissible data-rates than is possible with microwaves.  Thus, one
conclusion drawn is that present-day SETI receivers may well be tuned to the
wrong frequencies.

Space-deployed Professional Optical SETI Observatories using optical
heterodyne receivers or coherent ground-based receivers with adaptive
optics, should allow for the transmission of high data-rate signals over
distances in excess of 1000 light years.  By definition, most technical
extraterrestrial civilizations will be more advanced than our own, and be
capable of producing very powerful continuous-wave or pulsed signals.  It is
thus further proposed that Amateur Optical SETI is both feasible and an
affordable activity for amateur astronomical societies and clubs.  The
design, performance and cost of such an Amateur Optical SETI Observatory
will be described.


                                   Biography

Dr. Stuart Kingsley was born in Stoke Newington in 1948 and grew up in South
Tottenham.  He has a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from London's
City University, and University College, respectively.  Stuart is a Member
of the IEE and Senior Member of the IEEE.  He moved to the United States and
Columbus in 1981, and joined Battelle Memorial Institute to lead their
fiber-optic sensing activities.  In 1984, he shared with his Ph.D. advisor
Professor D.E.N. Davies, the prestigious Rank Prize for Optoelectronics.
This was awarded for their fundamental work in the development of fiber-
optic sensing technology.  Since 1987, Stuart has been an independent
consultant, specializing in fiber-optic sensing, photonic communications
systems, lighting/VDU flicker, possible electromagnetic health hazards, and
the optical search for extraterrestrial intelligence.


April 14, 1992
File: SETI_UK.TLK


 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 * Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley, CEng,                                           *
 * Consultant                                                              *
 * MIEE, SMIEEE,                                                           *
 * The Planetary Society,                                                  *
 * Space Studies Institute,                                                *
 * Columbus Astronomical Society,                                          *
 * Volunteer, SETI Group, Ohio State.                                      *
 *                                                                         *
 *                                    "Where No Photon Has Gone Before &   *
 *                                   The Impossible Takes A Little Longer" *
 *                                                 __________              *
 * FIBERDYNE OPTOELECTRONICS                      /          \             *
 * 545 Northview Drive                        ---   hf >> kT   ---         *
 * Columbus, Ohio 43209                           \__________/             *
 * United States                                                           *
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 * Manual Fax Tone Access Code: 33        .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     *
 * Bulletin Board System (BBS):               ..    ..    ..    ..         *
 * Modem: (614) 258-1710,                                                  *
 * 300/1200/2400/4800/9600 Baud, MNP, 8N1.                                 *
 * Email: skingsle@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu                               *
 * CompuServe: 72376,3545                                                  *
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Newsgroups: sci.astro