The Mid-Infrared Instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope, I: Introduction
Journal article, 2015

MIRI (the Mid-Infrared Instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope [JWST]) operates from 5 to 28: 5 mu m and combines over this range: (1) unprecedented sensitivity levels; (2) subarcsecond 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 eclipse spectroscopy of exoplanets; (3) probing the first stages of star and planet formation, including identifying bioactive molecules; (4) determining star formation rates and mass growth as galaxies are assembled; and (5) characterizing the youngest massive galaxies.

Author

G. H. Rieke

University of Arizona

G. S. Wright

Royal Observatory

T. Boker

European Space Agency (ESA)

J. Bouwman

Max Planck Society

L. Colina

Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB)

A. Glasse

Royal Observatory

K. D. Gordon

Ghent university

Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

T. P. Greene

NASA Ames Research Center

M. Gudel

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH)

University of Vienna

T. Henning

Max Planck Society

Kay Justtanont

Chalmers, Earth and Space Sciences, Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics

P. O. Lagage

Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

M. E. Meixner

Johns Hopkins University

Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

H. U. Norgaard-Nielsen

Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

T. P. Ray

Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies

M. E. Ressler

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

E. F. van Dishoeck

Leiden University

C. Waelkens

KU Leuven

Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific

0004-6280 (ISSN) 1538-3873 (eISSN)

Vol. 127 953 584-594

Subject Categories

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

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Latest update

9/7/2018 1