Fully fluorinated non-carbon compounds NF₃ and SF₆ as ideal technosignature gases.

ABSTRACT: Waste gas products from technological civilizations may accumulate in an exoplanet atmosphere to detectable levels. We propose nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) as ideal technosignature gases. Earth life avoids producing or using any N-F or S-F bond-containing molecules and makes no fully fluorinated molecules with any element. NF₃ and SF₆ may be universal technosignatures owing to their special industrial properties, which unlike biosignature gases, are not species-dependent. Other key relevant qualities of NF₃ and SF₆ are: their extremely low water solubility, unique spectral features, and long atmospheric lifetimes. NF₃ has no non-human sources and was absent from Earth's pre-industrial a

SUBMITTER: Seager S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10442443 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature