Kailash C. Sahu NIRCam: Status Update 1m Cold, space-facing side Sunshield Spacecraft Bus Warm, Sun-facing side Primary Mirror Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) Optical Telescope Element (OTE) Cold, space-facing side 1m Kailash C. Sahu

NIRCam’s Role in JWST’s Science Themes First Light in the Universe: NIRCam will execute deep surveys to find and categorize first galaxies. Assembly of Galaxies: NIRCam will provide details on shapes and colors of galaxies. NIRCAM_X000 Inflation Forming Atomic Nuclei Recombination First Galaxies Reionoization Clusters & Morphology Modern Universe NIRCam Quark Soup Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems: NIRCam will be ideal to study disks and proto-planetary systems. young solar system Kuiper Belt Planets Planetary Systems and Origins of Life: NIRCam and its coronagraph will image and characterize disks and planets, and study extrasolar planets with high S/N observations.

What’s NIRCam? NIRCam is the near-infrared camera (0.6-5 microns) for JWST Dichroic used to split range into short (0.6-2.3mm) and long (2.4-5m) sections Nyquist sampling at 2 and 4mm Coronagraphic capability for both short and long wavelengths Low-resolution spectroscopic capability in the LW channel. NIRCam is the wavefront sensor Must be fully redundant

2 Channels Per Module Short wavelength channel Long wavelength channel Each module has two channels (0.6 to 2.3 m and 2.4 to 5 m) 7 wide band filters (4 SW, 3 LW) for deep surveys Survey efficiency is increased by observing the same field at long and short wavelength simultaneously Pixel scale: SW: 0.032”/pix LW: 0.064”/pix Module A Module B 2.2’

NIRCam Optical Layout* *there are 2 identical modules Pupil Imaging Lens Assembly

JWST-Spitzer Image Comparison 1’x1’ region in the UDF – 3.5 to 5.8 mm Spitzer, 25 hour per band (GOODS collaboration) JWST, 1000s per band (simulated) Courtesy: Stefano Casertano

Precision Transit Light Curves Large collecting area 45 × Spitzer, Kepler 350 × CoRoT Increased SNR (D), faster observations (D2) Very precise light curves for primary eclipses Smaller planets Rings, moons, etc. Ingress & egress curves for temp map (Rauscher et al) Thermal mapping (secondary transit light curves). E. Rauscher et al. (2007)

Transits With NIRCAM Lenses introduce 4,8,12 l of defocus to spread light over many hundreds of pixels Reduce flat-field errors for bright stars 5<K<10 mag Ultra-high precision data for bright transits Diffused images (weak lenses) or spectrally dispersed images (grism) reduce brightness/pixel by >5 mag. K=3-5 mag stars not saturated.

PSF with F212N & Weak Lenses In Focus F210M Courtesy John Krist 4l Defocus 8l Defocus x10 12l Defocus x10 9

SW #1 Flight detector Illuminated Dark RN and QE better than spec requirements. But minor problems remain… First-frame effect (RN is larger in the first few ms after reset, which effects first 2 rows). RN level is unstable, which may require active temperature control.

Current Status FPA has been thoroughly tested at UofA. It has gone to Lockheed Martin for checkout of the focal plane electronics. FSW script development is in progress at STScI. Script testing will be done in GSFC/LMATC in 2008/2009. Calibration, DMS, PPS and ETC development in progress.

Project is moving along! NIRCam qualification focal plane. NIRCam ETU bench. science operations Concept Development mission implementation launch NIRCam delivery mission formulation authorized

Summary NIRCam will be a versatile instrument capable of detecting “First Light” galaxies Recent additions to NIRCam such as long wavelength slitless grisms and use of weak lenses make it also capable of definitive exoplanet studies Both NIRCam and the entire JWST Project are making great progress towards a 2013 launch.