A new method could help detect planets inhabited by alien civilizations capable of nuclear fusion.

Scientists believe that by observing distant planets, signs of nuclear fusion can be detected there. This would indicate that this technology has been mastered by an advanced alien civilization. The study was published in the journal Astrophysical, writes Interesting Engineering.

The basis of the new method for searching for potential aliens is the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio on a distant planet. This ratio is about 10 times higher on Earth than in the interstellar medium.

Rocky planets like Earth, where aliens may live, are known to have a higher deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio than in the interstellar medium.

Scientists believe that if the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio on a distant planet is lower than the baseline level of the interstellar medium, it could indicate something strange.

No known natural process can lower this ratio on a planet. So a potential extraterrestrial civilization could do it.

Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen that occurs naturally and can be found throughout the universe. It is a very stable isotope that can exist for a very long time. Deuterium contains one neutron and one proton, unlike regular hydrogen, which has only one proton.

The neutron makes deuterium heavier than ordinary hydrogen and easier to detect by remote sensing. Deuterium is also a fuel for nuclear fusion.

If deuterium is used as the primary fuel in a fusion reactor, it is theoretically possible to obtain much more fusion energy than is possible from the fusion of hydrogen atoms.