Differential Optical Transfer Function (dOTF) is an image-based, non-iterative wavefront sensing method that uses two star images with a single small change in the pupil. We describe two possible methods for introducing the required pupil modification to the JWST, one using a small (<lambda/4) displacement of a single segment's actuator and another that uses small misalignments of NIRCam's filter wheel. While both methods should work with NIRCam, the actuator method will allow both MIRI and NIRISS to be used for segment phasing, which is new functionality. Since the actuator method requires only small displacements, it should provide a fast and safe phasing alternative that reduces mission risk and can be performed frequently for alignment monitoring and maintenance. Since a single actuator modification can be seen by all three cameras, it should be possible to calibrate the non-common-path aberrations between them. Large segment discontinuities can be measured using dOTFs in two filter bands. Using two images of a star field, aberrations along multiple lines of sight through the telescope can be measured simultaneously. Also, since dOTF gives the pupil field amplitude as well as phase, it could provide a first approximation or constraint to the planned iterative phase retrieval algorithms.
We measured the parallax of the James Webb Space Telescope based on near simultaneous observations using the Lulin One-meter Telescope and the GROWTH India Telescope, separated at a distance of ~4214 km. This serves a great demonstration for the concept of parallax commonly taught in introductory astronomy courses.
In less than a year, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will inherit the mantle of being the world's pre-eminent infrared observatory. JWST will carry with it an Aperture Masking Interferometer (AMI) as one of the supported operational modes of the Near-InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) instrument. Aboard such a powerful platform, the AMI mode will deliver the most advanced and scientifically capable interferometer ever launched into space, exceeding anything that has gone before it by orders of magnitude in sensitivity. Here we present key aspects of the design and commiss…
Recent instrumentation projects have allocated resources to develop codes for simulating astronomical images. Novel physics-based models are essential for understanding telescope, instrument, and environmental systematics in observations. A deep understanding of these systematics is especially important in the context of weak gravitational lensing, galaxy morphology, and other sensitive measurements. In this work, we present an adaptation of a physics-based ab initio image simulator: The Photon Simulator (PhoSim). We modify PhoSim for use with the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) -- the primary i…
MIRI (the Mid-Infrared Instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)) operates from 5 to 28.5 microns and combines over this range: 1.) unprecedented sensitivity levels; 2.) sub-arcsec angular resolution; 3.) freedom from atmospheric interference; 4.) the inherent stability of observing in space; and 5.) a suite of versatile capabilities including imaging, low and medium resolution spectroscopy (with an integral field unit), and coronagraphy. We illustrate the potential uses of this unique combination of capabilities with various science examples: 1.) imaging exoplanets; 2.) transit and…
We describe the layout and unique features of the focal plane system for MIRI. We begin with the detector array and its readout integrated circuit (combining the amplifier unit cells and the multiplexer), the electronics, and the steps by which the data collection is controlled and the output signals are digitized and delivered to the JWST spacecraft electronics system. We then discuss the operation of this MIRI data system, including detector readout patterns, operation of subarrays, and data formats. Finally, we summarize the performance of the system, including remaining anomalies that need…
The Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) is one of the four focal plane instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope which was launched on Dec. 25, 2021. We present an overview of the as-run NIRSpec commissioning campaign, with particular emphasis on the sequence of activities that led to the verification of all hardware components of NIRSpec. We also discuss the mechanical, thermal, and operational performance of NIRSpec, as well as the readiness of all NIRSpec observing modes for use in the upcoming JWST science program.
We present an estimate of the performance that will be achieved during on orbit operations of the JWST Mid Infrared Instrument, MIRI. The efficiency of the main imager and spectrometer systems in detecting photons from an astronomical target are presented, based on measurements at sub-system and instrument level testing, with the end-to-end transmission budget discussed in some detail. The brightest target fluxes that can be measured without saturating the detectors are provided. The sensitivity for long duration observations of faint sources is presented in terms of the target flux required t…
The Low Resolution Spectrometer of the MIRI, which forms part of the imager module, will provide R~100 long-slit and slitless spectroscopy from 5 to 12 micron. The design is optimised for observations of compact sources, such as exoplanet host stars. We provide here an overview of the design of the LRS, and its performance as measured during extensive test campaigns, examining in particular the delivered image quality, dispersion, and resolving power, as well as spectrophotometric performance, flatfield accuracy and the effects of fringing. We describe the operational concept of the slitless m…
It is critical for James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) science that instrumental units are converted to physical units. We detail the design of the JWST absolute flux calibration program that has the core goal of ensuring a robust flux calibration internal to and between all the science instruments for both point and extended source science. This program will observe a sample of calibration stars that have been extensively vetted based mainly on Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite observations. The program uses multiple stars of three differ…
We present the wide field slitless spectroscopy mode of the NIRISS instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope. This mode employs two orthogonal low-resolution (resolving power $\approx 150$) grisms in combination with a set of six blocking filters in the wavelength range 0.8 to $2.3\,μ$m to provide a spectrum of almost every source across the field-of-view. When combined with the low background, high sensitivity and high spatial resolution afforded by the telescope, this mode will enable unprecedented studies of the structure and evolution of distant galaxies. We describe the performance of …
In this article, we describe the MIRI Imager module (MIRIM), which provides broad-band imaging in the 5 - 27 microns wavelength range for the James Webb Space Telescope. The imager has a 0"11 pixel scale and a total unobstructed view of 74"x113". The remainder of its nominal 113"x113" field is occupied by the coronagraphs and the low resolution spectrometer. We present the instrument optical and mechanical design. We show that the test data, as measured during the test campaigns undertaken at CEA-Saclay, at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, indica…
We present an overview of the capabilities and key algorithms employed in the so-called eMPT software suite developed for planning scientifically optimized, multi-object spectroscopic (MOS) observations with the Micro-Shutter Array (MSA) of the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the first multi-object spectrograph to operate in space. NIRSpec MOS mode is enabled by a programmable MSA, a regular grid of ~250,000 individual apertures that projects to a static, semi-regular pattern of available slits on the sky and makes the planning an…
This white paper examines the benefit of the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope for studies of the Solar System's four giant planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. JWST's superior sensitivity, combined with high spatial and spectral resolution, will enable near- and mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopy of these objects with unprecedented quality. In this paper we discuss some of the myriad scientific investigations possible with JWST regarding the giant planets. This discussion is preceded by the specifics of JWST instrumentation most relevant to giant planet observations. We conclud…
The imaging channel on the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is equipped with four coronagraphs that provide high contrast imaging capabilities for studying faint point sources and extended emission that would otherwise be overwhelmed by a bright point-source in its vicinity. Such bright sources might include stars that are orbited by exoplanets and circumstellar material, mass-loss envelopes around post-main-sequence stars, the near-nuclear environments in active galaxies, and the host galaxies of distant quasars. This paper describes the coronagraphic observing modes of MIRI, as well as perform…
We describe the operations concept and data reduction plan for the Mid- Infrared Instrument (MIRI) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The overall JWST operations concept is to use Observation Templates (OTs) to provide a straightforward and intuitive way for users to specify observations. MIRI has four OTs that correspond to the four observing modes: 1.) Imaging, 2.) Coronagraphy, 3.) Low Resolution Spectroscopy, and 4.) Medium Resolution Spectroscopy. We outline the user choices and expansion of these choices into detailed instrument operations. The data reduction plans for MIRI are s…
Principal Component Analysis (PCA)-based techniques can separate data into different uncorrelated components and facilitate the statistical analysis as a pre-processing step. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) can separate statistically independent signal sources through a non-parametric and iterative algorithm. Non-negative matrix factorization is another PCA-similar approach to categorizing dimensions in physically-interpretable groups. Singular spectrum analysis (SSA) is a time-series-related PCA-like algorithm. After an introduction and a literature review on processing JWST data from th…
The Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) offers the first opportunity to use integral-field spectroscopy from space at near-infrared wavelengths. More specifically, NIRSpec's integral-field unit can obtain spectra covering the wavelength range $0.6 - 5.3~μ$m for a contiguous 3.1 arcsec $\times$ 3.2 arcsec sky area at spectral resolutions of $R \approx 100$, 1000, and 2700. In this paper we describe the optical and mechanical design of the NIRSpec integral-field spectroscopy mode, together with its expected performance. We also discuss a few recommended …
The two most powerful optical/IR telescopes in history -- NASA's Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes -- will be in space at the same time. We have a unique opportunity to leverage the 1.5 million kilometer separation between the two telescopic nodal points to obtain simultaneously captured stereoscopic images of asteroids, comets, moons and planets in our Solar System. Given the recent resurgence in stereo-3D movies and the recent emergence of VR-enabled mobile devices, these stereoscopic images provide a unique opportunity to engage the public with unprecedented views of various Solar Syst…
The Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) is one of the four focal plane instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope. In this paper, we summarize the in-orbit performance of NIRSpec, as derived from data collected during its commissioning campaign and the first few months of nominal science operations. More specifically, we discuss the performance of some critical hardware components such as the two NIRSpec Hawaii-2RG (H2RG) detectors, wheel mechanisms, and the micro-shutter array. We also summarize the accuracy of the two target acquisition procedures used to accurately place science targets…
The James Webb Space Telescope near-infrared camera (JWST NIRCam) has two 2.'2 $\times$ 2.'2 fields of view that are capable of either imaging or spectroscopic observations. Either of two $R \sim 1500$ grisms with orthogonal dispersion directions can be used for slitless spectroscopy over $λ= 2.4 - 5.0$ $μ$m in each module, and shorter wavelength observations of the same fields can be obtained simultaneously. We present the latest predicted grism sensitivities, saturation limits, resolving power, and wavelength coverage values based on component measurements, instrument tests, and end-to-end m…
The James Webb Space Telescope's Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (JWST-NIRISS) flies a 7-hole non-redundant mask (NRM), the first such interferometer in space, operating at 3-5 \micron~wavelengths, and a bright limit of $\simeq 4$ magnitudes in W2. We describe the NIRISS Aperture Masking Interferometry (AMI) mode to help potential observers understand its underlying principles, present some sample science cases, explain its operational observing strategies, indicate how AMI proposals can be developed with data simulations, and how AMI data can be analyzed. We also present key re…
Recent studies predict the characteristics of JWSTs deep field image using a deterministic approach based on recent observational measurements with corresponding ranges of uncertainty. This study presents a simplified geometric-focused deep field simulation using an ensemble approach to demonstrate the high variability in results due to the uncertainty ranges of observational measurements. Two sets of ensemble simulations were conducted: a parameter sensitivity ensemble, and a 90-member full ensemble each calculating the percentage of the image occupied by galaxies. The estimated number of uns…
Astrophysics facilities have been of tremendous importance for planetary science. The flagship space observatory Hubble Space Telescope has produced ground-breaking Solar System science, but when launched it did not even have the capability to track moving targets. The next astrophysics flagship mission, the James Webb Space Telescope, included Solar System scientists in its science team from the earliest days, with the result that Webb will launch with a diverse program and capabilities for Solar System exploration. The New Great Observatories, as well as future ground-based facilities, offer…
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Optical Simulation Testbed (JOST) is a hardware simulator for wavefront sensing and control designed to produce JWST-like images. A model of the JWST three mirror anas- tigmat is realized with three lenses in the form of a Cooke triplet, which provides JWST-like optical quality over a field equivalent to a NIRCam module. An Iris AO hexagonally segmented mirror stands in for the JWST primary. This setup successfully produces images extremely similar to expected JWST in-flight point spread functions (PSFs), and NIRCam images from cryotesting, in terms of the…
The MIRI Si:As IBC detector arrays extend the heritage technology from the Spitzer IRAC arrays to a 1024 x 1024 pixel format. We provide a short discussion of the principles of operation, design, and performance of the individual MIRI detectors, in support of a description of their operation in arrays provided in an accompanying paper (Ressler et al. (2015)). We then describe modeling of their response. We find that electron diffusion is an important component of their performance, although it was omitted in previous models. Our new model will let us optimize the bias voltage while avoiding av…
The coronagraphic instrument currently proposed for the WFIRST-AFTA mission will be the first example of a space-based coronagraph optimized for extremely high contrasts that are required for the direct imaging of exoplanets reflecting the light of their host star. While the design of this instrument is still in progress, this early stage of development is a particularly beneficial time to consider the operation of such an instrument. In this paper, we review current or planned operations on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) with a focus on which operat…
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will revolutionize our understanding of exoplanets with transit spectroscopy of a wide range of mature planets close to their host stars ($<$2 AU) and with coronagraphic imaging and spectroscopy of young objects located further out ($>$10 AU). The census of exoplanets has revealed an enormous variety of planets orbiting stars of all ages and spectral types. With TESS adding to this census with its all-sky survey of the closest, brightest stars, the challenge of the coming decade will be to move from demography to physical characterization. This white paper…
The upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in less than three years is certain to bring a revolution in our understanding of many area of astrophysics, with one of the key goals being galaxy evolution. As the first proposals will be due in a little over two years, the time is ripe to take a holistic look at the science goals which the community would wish to accomplish with this observatory. Contrary to our experiences with the Hubble Space Telescope, which has now operated successfully for over two decades due to several timely servicing missions, the lifetime of JWST is fin…
The constructive and destructive interference in different layers of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) detector arrays modulate the detected signal as a function of wavelength. Additionally, sources of different spatial profiles show different fringe patterns. Dividing by a static fringe flat could hamper the scientific interpretation of sources whose fringes do not match that of the fringe flat. We find point source fringes measured by the MIRI Medium-Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) to be reproducible under similar observing conditions. We want, thus, to ident…
We provide an overview of the design and capabilities of the near-infrared spectrograph (NIRSpec) onboard the James Webb Space Telescope. NIRSpec is designed to be capable of carrying out low-resolution ($R\!=30\!-330$) prism spectroscopy over the wavelength range $0.6-5.3\!~μ$m and higher resolution ($R\!=500\!-1340$ or $R\!=1320\!-3600$) grating spectroscopy over $0.7-5.2\!~μ$m, both in single-object mode employing any one of five fixed slits, or a 3.1$\times$3.2 arcsec$^2$ integral field unit, or in multiobject mode employing a novel programmable micro-shutter device covering a 3.6$\times$3…
We provide an overview of the capabilities and performance of the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) when used in its multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) mode employing a novel Micro Shutter Array (MSA) slit device. The MSA consists of four separate 98 arcsec $\times$ 91 arcsec quadrants each containing $365\times171$ individually addressable shutters whose open areas on the sky measure 0.20 arcsec $\times$ 0.46 arcsec on a 0.27 arcsec $\times$ 0.53 arcsec pitch. This is the first time that a configurable multi-object spectrograph has been available on a …
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will devote significant observing time to the study of exoplanets. It will not be serviceable as was the Hubble Space Telescope, and therefore the spacecraft/instruments will have a relatively limited life. It is important to get as much science as possible out of this limited observing time. We provide an analysis framework (including publicly released computational tools) that can be used to optimize lists of exoplanet targets for atmospheric characterization. Our tools take catalogs of planet detections, either simulated, or actual; categorize the targe…
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), currently scheduled to launch in 2021, will dramatically advance our understanding of exoplanetary systems with its ability to directly image and characterise planetary-mass companions at wide separations through coronagraphy. Using state-of-the-art simulations of JWST performance, in combination with the latest evolutionary models, we present the most sophisticated simulated mass sensitivity limits of JWST coronagraphy to date. In particular, we focus our efforts towards observations of members within the nearby young moving groups $β$ Pictoris and TW Hy…
This article summarizes a workshop held on March, 2014, on the potential of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to revolutionize our knowledge of the physical properties of exoplanets through transit observations. JWST's unique combination of high sensitivity and broad wavelength coverage will enable the accurate measurement of transits with high signal-to-noise. Most importantly, JWST spectroscopy will investigate planetary atmospheres to determine atomic and molecular compositions, to probe vertical and horizontal structure, and to follow dynamical evolution, i.e. exoplanet weather. JWST w…
The Near-Inrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a very versatile instrument, offering multiobject and integral field spectroscopy with varying spectral resolution ($\sim$30 to $\sim$3000) over a wide wavelength range from 0.6 to 5.3 micron, enabling scientists to study many science themes ranging from the first galaxies to bodies in our own Solar System. In addition to its integral field unit and support for multiobject spectroscopy, NIRSpec features several fixed slits and a wide aperture specifically designed to enable high precision time-series and transi…
We describe the design and performance of the Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) for the JWST-MIRI instrument. The MRS incorporates four coaxial spectral channels in a compact opto-mechanical layout that generates spectral images over fields of view up to 7.7 X 7.7 arcseconds in extent and at spectral resolving powers ranging from 1,300 to 3,700. Each channel includes an all-reflective integral field unit (IFU): an 'image slicer' that reformats the input field for presentation to a grating spectrometer. Two 1024 X 1024 focal plane arrays record the output spectral images with an instantaneou…
We describe the selection of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) Time-Domain Field (TDF), a ~14' diameter field located within JWST's northern Continuous Viewing Zone (CVZ) and centered at (RA, Dec)_J2000 = (17:22:47.896, +65:49:21.54). We demonstrate that this is the only region in the sky where JWST can observe a clean (i.e., free of bright foreground stars and with low Galactic foreground extinction) extragalactic deep survey field of this size at arbitrary cadence or at arbitrary orientation, and without a penalty in terms of a raised Zodiacal background. This w…
A number of transiting, potentially habitable Earth-sized exoplanets have recently been detected around several nearby M dwarf stars. These worlds represent important targets for atmospheric characterization for the upcoming NASA James Webb Space Telescope. Given that available time for exoplanet characterization will be limited, it is critically important to first understand the capabilities and limitations of JWST when attempting to detect atmospheric constituents for potentially Earth-like worlds orbiting cool stars. Here, we explore coupled climate-chemistry atmospheric models for Earth-li…
For the past 400 years, astronomers have sought to observe and interpret the Universe by building more powerful telescopes. These incredible instruments extend the capabilities of one of our most important senses, sight, towards new limits such as increased sensitivity and resolution, new dimensions such as exploration of wavelengths across the full electromagnetic spectrum, new information content such as analysis through spectroscopy, and new cadences such as rapid time-series views of the variable sky. The results from these investments, from small to large telescopes on the ground and in s…
The near-term search for life beyond the solar system currently focuses on transiting planets orbiting small M dwarfs, and the challenges of detecting signs of life in their atmospheres. However, planets orbiting white dwarfs (WDs) would provide a unique opportunity to characterize rocky worlds. The discovery of the first transiting giant planet orbiting a white dwarf, WD 1856+534b, showed that planetary-mass objects can survive close-in orbits around WDs. The large radius ratio between WD planets and their host renders them exceptional targets for transmission spectroscopy. Here, we explore t…
Alpha Centauri A is the closest solar-type star to the Sun and offers an excellent opportunity to detect the thermal emission of a mature planet heated by its host star. The MIRI coronagraph on JWST can search the 1-3 AU (1"-2") region around alpha Cen A which is predicted to be stable within the alpha Cen AB system. We demonstrate that with reasonable performance of the telescope and instrument, a 20 hr program combining on-target and reference star observations at 15.5 um could detect thermal emission from planets as small as ~5 RE. Multiple visits every 3-6 months would increase the geometr…
The imaging and characterization of a larger range of exoplanets, down to young Jupiters and exo-Earths will require accessing very high contrasts at small angular separations with an increased robustness to aberrations, three constraints that drive current instrumentation development. This goal relies on efficient coronagraphs set up on extremely large diameter telescopes such as the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), or the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). However, they tend to be subject to specific aberrations that drastically deteriorate the coronagraph perf…
