地外生命搜索和太阳系外的行星的发现

SEARCHING FOR EXTRA TERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE DISCOVERING OF EXTRASOLAR PLANETS

阐述地外生命搜索的意义、手段和现状 ,地外生命搜索的SETI计划及其发展 .并着重介绍太阳系外的行星系统的发现 ,它的目的、方法、成果以及未来 .太阳系外的行星系统的发现是当代天文学最时髦的、也将是未来 2 1世纪成果最丰富的研究领域之一 .从 1 992年第一个确认了脉冲星PSR 1 2 5 7+1 2的行星系统以来 ,1 995年确认主序星 5 1Peg有一颗行星 ,至 2 0 0 1年 5月 ,已经发现了 6 0个太阳系外的行星系统 .太阳系外的行星系统的发现与地外生命搜索研究是密不可分的 .新的发现也提出了很多新的谜 .这项研究近 1 0年来发展很快 .它的研究也促进了航天学、宇宙化学、天文生物学乃至哲学等其他学科的发展 .

In this paper, the significance, instrumentality, and the status in searching for extra terrestrial intelligence, in addition, the SETI program and its development, are introduced. Especially, the discovery of extrasolar planets, with its purpose, ways and means, achievement, and the future, are emphasized. Finding extrasolar planets is one of the most vogue question for discussion now. It will be one of the most plenty research field in astronomy in the 21st century. Since the first affirmance of an extrasolar planetary system in pulsar PSR1257+12, and first discovery of a planet in a main sequence star, 51 Peg, in 1995, about half hundred of extrasolar planets have been discovered. The discovery can not detach from the searching for extra terrestrial intelligence, but it brings forward new open problems. During the past 10 years the research has been developing rapidly. Not only in astronomy, but also in other sciences, like spaceflight, astrochemistry, astrobiology, even in philosophy, it plays an advance function.