Authors

Sasha Hinkley, University of Exeter
Aarynn L. Carter, University of California, Santa Cruz
Shrishmoy Ray, University of Exeter
Andrew Skemer, University of California, Santa Cruz
Beth Biller, University of Edinburgh, Institute for Astronomy
Elodie Choquet, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
Maxwell A. Millar-Blanchaer, University of California, Santa Barbara
Stephanie Sallum, University of California, Irvine
Brittany Miles, University of California, Santa Cruz
Niall Whiteford, American Museum of Natural History
Polychronis Patapis, ETH Zürich
Marshall Perrin, Space Telescope Science Institute
Laurent Pueyo, Space Telescope Science Institute
Glenn Schneider, The University of Arizona
Karl Stapelfeldt, California Institute of Technology
Jason Wang, California Institute of Technology
Kimberly Ward-Duong, Space Telescope Science InstituteFollow
Brendan P. Bowler, The University of Texas at Austin
Anthony Boccaletti, L'Observatoire de Paris
Julien H. Girard, Space Telescope Science Institute
Dean Hines, Space Telescope Science Institute
Paul Kalas, University of California, Berkeley
Jens Kammerer, Space Telescope Science Institute
Pierre Kervella, L'Observatoire de Paris
Jarron Leisenring, The University of Arizona
Eric Pantin, Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
Yifan Zhou, The University of Texas at Austin
Michael Meyer, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Michael C. Liu, University Hawaii Institute for Astronomy
Mickael Bonnefoy, Université Grenoble Alpes
Thayne Currie, NASA Ames Research Center
Michael McElwain, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2022

Publication Title

Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific

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.

Volume

134

Issue

1039

DOI

10.1088/1538-3873/ac77bd

ISSN

00046280

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Rights

© 2022. The Author(s)

Comments

Archived as published.

Download

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.