Milky Way's coldest objects may not be stars but alien-built Dyson swarms: Study
Astrophysicist Amirnezam Amiri suggests that some of the coldest objects in the Milky Way may be Dyson swarms, which are energy-harvesting structures built by advanced alien civilizations. The study proposes a new mathematical method to identify these structures, focusing on red and white dwarf stars as ideal candidates for such engineering.
Why it matters
This research provides a new framework for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) by shifting the focus from solid shells to more plausible, modular energy-collection systems.
Some of the coldest objects currently listed as stars in the Milky Way may not be stars at all. A new study by astrophysicist Amirnezam Amiri from the University of Arkansas suggests that these extremely cold objects could instead be giant energy-harvesting structures built by advanced alien civilisations. According to the research, these objects match the expected behaviour of engineered systems that collect a star's energy and release the leftover heat as infrared radiation.The study is set to be published in the journal Universe and it offers a new mathematical method to search for these possible alien structures. The idea was first proposed by physicist Freeman Dyson in 1960. Instead of a single giant shell surrounding a star, modern scientists now favour the idea of a 'Dyson swarm', made up of millions of separate solar collectors orbiting the star.
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