Istanbul University (IU) Astronomy and Space Sciences Department Astrophysics Department Lecturer Assoc. Dr. Hasan Hüseyin Esenoğlu stated that there is no scientific evidence that the radio signals detected from the Beta Pictoris b exoplanet, approximately 63 light years away from Earth, are an indicator of extraterrestrial life, and that the signals may originate from a natural process related to the planet's magnetic field and aurora formation.
Esenoğlu, in his evaluation to the AA correspondent, said that the news of receiving a "radio signal from a distant planet", which appeared in the press recently, stimulated his imagination, but the scientific findings were different.
Stating that the celestial object in question is the exoplanet named Beta Pictoris b located in the direction of the Pictor Constellation, Esenoğlu noted that in the observations made with the MeerKAT radio telescope array in South Africa, fast, repetitive and strongly circularly polarized radio bursts as well as continuous radio emission were detected coming from the location of the planet.
Stating that the observations cover the frequency range of approximately 0.85 to 3.5 gigahertz, Esenoğlu said, "The radio signal coming from the exoplanet carries the trace of the magnetic field rather than the alien message. It is scientifically impossible to associate the radio signals detected from the Beta Pictoris b exoplanet, which is approximately 63 light years away from the Earth, with extraterrestrial life. We consider the emission in question as a natural process related to the strong magnetic field of the planet and the formation of aurora." he said.
Esenoğlu evaluated that the emission is related to auroras formed by the cyclotron maser mechanism, in which high-energy electrons moving at speeds close to the speed of light in strong magnetic fields play a role. He said that if the research passes the peer review, this may be the first detection of auroral radio emission directly determined to originate from an exoplanet.
"Radio signal does not mean radio message"
Emphasizing that the discovery in question should not be interpreted as a "message from aliens", Esenoğlu said, "The critical distinction here is this. A radio signal does not mean a radio message." he said.
Explaining that planets with magnetic fields in the Solar System, especially Jupiter, also produce natural radio waves, Esenoğlu explained that the interaction of charged particles with strong magnetic fields can lead to radio radiation.
Esenoğlu stated that based on the frequencies measured from Beta Pictoris b, the magnetic field in the region where the planet's radio emission occurs is estimated to be at least approximately 1.25 kilogauss.
Emphasizing that the real importance of the discovery is that it opens a new observation window that will allow direct examination of the magnetic field of a distant planet, Esenoğlu noted that magnetic fields carry information on many subjects, such as the protection of planets' atmospheres against stellar winds, their internal structures and long-term evolution.
Stating that Beta Pictoris b is not one of the first planets to be preferred in the search for extraterrestrial life, Esenoğlu stated that the planet is a gas giant located in a young system and several times larger than Jupiter.
Stating that the existence of life outside the world has not yet been confirmed, Esenoğlu stated that NASA also announced that no reliable evidence of life or life on another world has yet been found.
Esenoğlu, on the other hand, stated that in the last 30 years, information about the environments in which life can emerge may be much more common in the universe than thought has increased significantly, and that in the early 1990s, the number of confirmed planets outside the Solar System was zero, and today, more than 6 thousand exoplanets are known.
Esenoğlu stated that thousands of exoplanet candidates are waiting to be confirmed and that these planets include gas giants, Neptune-like worlds, super-earths and rocky planets.
Now the question "Are there planets around other stars?" Stating that the answer to the question is known, Esenoğlu said, "Planets are extremely common in our galaxy. The real question is whether there is life in any of them." he said.
Being in the habitable zone does not mean there is life.
Assoc. Dr. Esenoğlu stated that one of the first steps in the search for life is to determine whether the planet's star is in the habitable zone, and that this zone refers to the distance range that would allow liquid water to exist on the planet's surface under suitable atmospheric conditions.
Emphasizing that a planet being in the habitable zone does not mean that there is life there, Esenoğlu stated that this only indicates that one of the conditions necessary for the formation of conditions suitable for life can be met.
Esenoğlu noted that in the search for life, scientists are investigating molecules that can be considered biomarkers in planetary atmospheres, that certain combinations of oxygen, methane or other molecules can also be formed through geological and atmospheric processes, and that the detection of a single molecule does not mean the existence of life.
Stating that in addition to observing distant planets in the search for extraterrestrial life, meteorites reaching the Earth from space are also examined in laboratory environments, Esenoğlu stated that in this context, minerals such as olivine, enstatite, pyroxene and plagioclase were determined in the Çanakkale meteorite in the examination carried out at Istanbul University.
Stating that bands indicating aliphatic hydrocarbons were also seen in the infrared spectrum, Esenoğlu said that, however, it could not be determined with certainty in the 2012 study whether these structures were the original composition of the meteorite or the result of contamination after it fell to Earth.
"We know how to look for life beyond Earth"
Stating that it is being investigated whether the signal in Beta Pictoris b can be observed again and whether independent telescopes give the same result, Esenoğlu concluded his words as follows:
"We did not find an alien message. But for the first time, we may have started to listen directly to the magnetic world of another planet. This is not a discovery to be underestimated. The question of whether we are alone in the universe is still unanswered. The most solid sentence that science can say today is perhaps this: We have not found life outside Earth, but we now know better than ever where and how to look for it."
