CaltechAUTHORS
Published September 2022 | Version public
Journal Article Metadata-only

The JWST Early Release Science Program for the Direct Imaging and Spectroscopy of Exoplanetary Systems

Creators

  • 1. ROR icon University of Exeter
  • 2. ROR icon University of California, Santa Cruz
  • 3. ROR icon Royal Observatory
  • 4. ROR icon French National Centre for Scientific Research
  • 5. ROR icon University of California, Santa Barbara
  • 6. ROR icon University of California, Irvine
  • 7. ROR icon American Museum of Natural History
  • 8. ROR icon ETH Zurich
  • 9. ROR icon Space Telescope Science Institute
  • 10. ROR icon University of Arizona
  • 11. ROR icon Jet Propulsion Lab
  • 12. ROR icon California Institute of Technology
  • 13. ROR icon Northwestern University
  • 14. ROR icon Smith College
  • 15. ROR icon The University of Texas at Austin
  • 16. ROR icon University of California, Berkeley
  • 17. ROR icon CEA Saclay
  • 18. ROR icon University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
  • 19. ROR icon University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • 20. ROR icon Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble
  • 21. ROR icon Ames Research Center
  • 22. ROR icon Goddard Space Flight Center
  • 23. ROR icon Western University
  • 24. ROR icon University of Cambridge
  • 25. ROR icon University of Liège
  • 26. ROR icon Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
  • 27. ROR icon École Normale Supérieure de Lyon
  • 28. ROR icon The Open University
  • 29. ROR icon Friedrich Schiller University Jena
  • 30. ROR icon Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía
  • 31. ROR icon Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation
  • 32. ROR icon University of California, Los Angeles
  • 33. ROR icon Eureka Scientific
  • 34. ROR icon Infrared Processing and Analysis Center
  • 35. ROR icon Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
  • 36. ROR icon Stockholm University
  • 37. ROR icon University of Warwick
  • 38. ROR icon Leiden University
  • 39. ROR icon Astrobiology Center
  • 40. ROR icon National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
  • 41. ROR icon Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova
  • 42. ROR icon Cornell University
  • 43. ROR icon National Research Council Canada
  • 44. ROR icon University of Victoria
  • 45. ROR icon University of Valparaíso
  • 46. ROR icon Heidelberg University
  • 47. ROR icon Johns Hopkins University
  • 48. ROR icon United States Naval Research Laboratory
  • 49. ROR icon University of Tokyo
  • 50. ROR icon Maison de la Simulation
  • 51. ROR icon NASA Exoplanet Science Institute

Abstract

The direct characterization of exoplanetary systems with high-contrast imaging is among the highest priorities for the broader exoplanet community. As large space missions will be necessary for detecting and characterizing exo-Earth twins, developing the techniques and technology for direct imaging of exoplanets is a driving focus for the community. For the first time, JWST will directly observe extrasolar planets at mid-infrared wavelengths beyond 5 μm, deliver detailed spectroscopy revealing much more precise chemical abundances and atmospheric conditions, and provide sensitivity to analogs of our solar system ice-giant planets at wide orbital separations, an entirely new class of exoplanet. However, in order to maximize the scientific output over the lifetime of the mission, an exquisite understanding of the instrumental performance of JWST is needed as early in the mission as possible. In this paper, we describe our 55 hr Early Release Science Program that will utilize all four JWST instruments to extend the characterization of planetary-mass companions to ∼15 μm as well as image a circumstellar disk in the mid-infrared with unprecedented sensitivity. Our program will also assess the performance of the observatory in the key modes expected to be commonly used for exoplanet direct imaging and spectroscopy, optimize data calibration and processing, and generate representative data sets that will enable a broad user base to effectively plan for general observing programs in future Cycles.

Additional Information

We thank the anonymous referee for numerous helpful suggestions, which significantly improved the manuscript. S. H. acknowledges the significant harm caused to members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the Department of State and NASA, while under the leadership of James Webb as Under Secretary of State and NASA Administrator, respectively. This project was supported by a grant from STScI (JWST-ERS-01386) under NASA contract NAS5-03127. M.T.is supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant No.18H05442. M.B. acknowledges support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through grant Kr 2164/13–2. K.W. acknowledges support from NASA through the NASA Hubble Fellowship grant HST-HF2-51472.001-A awarded by the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Incorporated, under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

Additional details

Identifiers

Eprint ID
117220
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20221003-756400000.31

Funding

NASA
JWST-ERS-01386
NASA
NAS5-03127
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
18H05442
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Kr 2164/13-2
NASA Hubble Fellowship
HST-HF2-51472.001-A
NASA
NAS5-26555

Dates

Created
2022-10-12
Created from EPrint's datestamp field
Updated
2022-10-12
Created from EPrint's last_modified field