Project Hephaistos -- IV. James Webb Space Telescope Observations of Two Dyson Sphere Candidates
Abstract
We report on JWST/MIRI imaging and spectroscopy of two M-dwarf stars previously singled out by project Hephaistos as potential Dyson-sphere candidates (their candidates D and E) due to the presence of excess flux at mid-infrared wavelengths. We find that the infrared excess does not originate from Dysonian megastructures, or other radiation mechanisms close to these stars, but from background galaxies projected within 1 arcsec of the M dwarfs, thereby confusing previous mid-infrared photometry obtained with the WISE telescope. The candidate D background galaxy lies at redshift z≈ 0.9, appears point-source dominated in imaging and has a mid-infrared spectrum consistent with being a Hot Dust Obscured Galaxy (Hot DOG). The candidate E background galaxy lies at z≈ 0.4, displays an extended morphology with bright knots and a spectrum consistent with a dusty starburst.
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