Hunting planets and observing disks with the JWST NIRCam coronagraph

  • John E. Krist
  • , Charles A. Beichman
  • , John T. Trauger
  • , Marcia J. Rieke
  • , Steve Somerstein
  • , Joseph J. Green
  • , Scott D. Horner
  • , John A. Stansberry
  • , Fang Shi
  • , Michael R. Meyer
  • , Karl R. Stapelfeldt
  • , Thomas L. Roellig

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

Abstract

The expected stable point spread function, wide field of view, and sensitivity of the NIRCam instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will allow a simple, classical Lyot coronagraph to detect warm Jovian-mass companions orbiting young stars within 150 pc as well as cool Jupiters around the nearest low-mass stars. The coronagraph can also be used to study protostellar and debris disks. At λ = 4.5 μm, where young planets are particularly bright relative to their stars, and at separations beyond ∼0.5 arcseconds, the low space background gives JWST significant advantages over ground-based telescopes equipped with adaptive optics. We discuss the scientific capabilities of the NIRCam coronagraph, describe the technical features of the instrument, and present end-to-end simulations of coronagraphic observations of planets and circumstellar disks.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number66930H
JournalProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume6693
DOIs
StatePublished - 2007
EventTechniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets III - San Diego, CA, United States
Duration: Aug 28 2007Aug 30 2007

Keywords

  • Circumstellar disks
  • Coronagraph
  • Extrasolar planets
  • James webb space telescope
  • NIRCam

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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