Search Publications
JWST PEARLS. Prime Extragalactic Areas for Reionization and Lensing Science: Project Overview and First Results
Finkelstein, Steven L.; Hathi, Nimish P.; Holwerda, Benne W. +82 more
We give an overview and describe the rationale, methods, and first results from NIRCam images of the JWST "Prime Extragalactic Areas for Reionization and Lensing Science" (PEARLS) project. PEARLS uses up to eight NIRCam filters to survey several prime extragalactic survey areas: two fields at the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP); seven gravitationally le…
A 3D Drizzle Algorithm for JWST and Practical Application to the MIRI Medium Resolution Spectrometer
Law, David R.; Vandenbussche, Bart; Patapis, Polychronis +4 more
We describe an algorithm for application of the classic "drizzle" technique to produce 3D spectral cubes using data obtained from the slicer-type integral field unit (IFU) spectrometers on board the James Webb Space Telescope. This algorithm relies upon the computation of overlapping volume elements (composed of two spatial dimensions and one spec…
JWST's PEARLS: Dust Attenuation and Gravitational Lensing in the Backlit-galaxy System VV 191
Grogin, Norman A.; Hathi, Nimish P.; Koekemoer, Anton M. +28 more
We derive the spatial and wavelength behavior of dust attenuation in the multiple-armed spiral galaxy VV 191b using backlighting by the superimposed elliptical system VV 191a in a pair with an exceptionally favorable geometry for this measurement. Imaging using the James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope spans the wavelength range 0.…
JWST/NIRCam Coronagraphy of the Young Planet-hosting Debris Disk AU Microscopii
Barclay, Thomas; Young, Erick T.; Boccaletti, Anthony +20 more
High-contrast imaging of debris disk systems permits us to assess the composition and size distribution of circumstellar dust, to probe recent dynamical histories, and to directly detect and characterize embedded exoplanets. Observations of these systems in the infrared beyond 2-3 µm promise access to both extremely favorable planet contrast…
Observing Atmospheric Escape in Sub-Jovian Worlds with JWST
Alam, Munazza K.; Espinoza, Néstor; Dos Santos, Leonardo A. +1 more
Hydrodynamic atmospheric escape is considered an important process that shapes the evolution of sub-Jovian exoplanets, particularly those with short orbital periods. The metastable He line in the near-infrared at 1.083 µm is a reliable tracer of atmospheric escape in hot exoplanets, with the advantage of being observable from the ground. How…
Detection of Strongly Lensed Arcs in Galaxy Clusters with Transformers
Li, Nan; Luo, Rui; Jia, Peng +4 more
Strong lensing in galaxy clusters probes properties of dense cores of dark matter halos in mass, studies the distant universe at flux levels and spatial resolutions otherwise unavailable, and constrains cosmological models independently. The next-generation large-scale sky imaging surveys are expected to discover thousands of cluster-scale strong …
First VLTI/GRAVITY Observations of HIP 65426 b: Evidence for a Low or Moderate Orbital Eccentricity
Lutz, D.; Genzel, R.; Sturm, E. +96 more
Giant exoplanets have been directly imaged over orders of magnitude of orbital separations, prompting theoretical and observational investigations of their formation pathways. In this paper, we present new VLTI/GRAVITY astrometric data of HIP 65426 b, a cold, giant exoplanet which is a particular challenge for most formation theories at a projecte…
Bringing 2D Eclipse Mapping out of the Shadows with Leave-one-out Cross Validation
McGill, Peter; Challener, Ryan C.; Welbanks, Luis
Eclipse mapping is a technique for inferring 2D brightness maps of transiting exoplanets from the shape of an eclipse light curve. With JWST's unmatched precision, eclipse mapping is now possible for a large number of exoplanets. However, eclipse mapping has only been applied to two planets, and the nuances of fitting eclipse maps are not yet full…
Spectral Retrieval with JWST Photometric data: a Case Study for HIP 65426 b
Wang, Ji
Half of the JWST high-contrast imaging objects will only have photometric data as of Cycle 2. However, to better understand their atmospheric chemistry that informs formation origin, spectroscopic data are preferred. Using HIP 65426 b, we investigate to what extent planet properties and atmospheric chemical abundance can be retrieved with only JWS…
SOFIA FEEDBACK Survey: The Pillars of Creation in [C II] and Molecular Lines
Wyrowski, Friedrich; Tiwari, Maitraiyee; Güsten, Rolf +11 more
We investigate the physical structure and conditions of photodissociation regions (PDRs) and molecular gas within the Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula using SOFIA FEEDBACK observations of the [C II] 158 µm line. These observations are velocity resolved to 0.5 km s-1 and are analyzed alongside a collection of complimentary d…