Abstract:

Dan will review current and SETI radio and optical searches, and also review CASPER open source technologies for real time signal processing instrumentation. The CASPER collaboration develops open source hardware, software, GPUware, FPGA gateware, tools, libraries, reference designs, tutorials, training videos, and workshops for astronomy instrumentation.
CASPER instrumentation is utilized mostly for radio astronomy, but also for physics, medicine, genomics, and engineering. More info at http://casper.berkeley.edu

The PANOSETI experiment searches a largely unexplored parameter space, observing a large field of view simultaneously (4,450 degrees) for nanosecond to second time scale transients at visible and near-IR wavelengths. The PANOSETI observatory employs two domes separated by ~1 km. Data from the two domes is cross-correlated to distinguish between astrophysical events and atmospheric phenomena (eg: Cherenkov radiation). Each PANOSETI dome contains ~45 telescopes; each telescope covers a 10 by 10 degree field. We have deployed a prototype PANOSETI observatory at Lick Observatory; where we also plan to build a full scale system. The small aperture, wide field-of-view, and low cost of the PANOSETI telescopes make them well-suited for high energy gamma-ray astronomy.