The MIRI/MRS Library I. Empirically correcting detector charge migration in unresolved sources

The JWST has been collecting scientific data for over two years now. Scientists are now looking deeper into the data, which introduces the need to correct known systematic effects. Important limiting factors for the MIRI/MRS are the pointing accuracy, non-linearity, detector charge migration, detector scattering, the accuracy of the PSF model, and the complex interplay between these. The Cycle 2 programme 3779 proposed a 72-point intra-pixel dither raster of the calibration star 10-Lac. In this first work of the paper series, we aim to address the degeneracy between the non-linearity and BFE that affect the pixel voltage integration ramps of the MRS. Due to the low flux in the longer wavelengths, we only do this in the 4.9 to 11.7 micron region. We fitted the ramps per pixel and dither, in order to fold in the deviations from classical non-linearity that are caused by charge migration. The ramp shapes should be repeatable depending on the part of the PSF that is sampled. By doing so, we defined both a grid-based linearity correction, and an interpolated linearity correction. We find significant improvements compared to the uniform illumination assumption. The standard deviation on the pixel ramp residual non-linearity is between 70-90% smaller than the current standard pipeline when self-calibrating with the grid. We are able to interpolate these coefficients to apply to any unresolved source not on the grid points, resulting in an up to 70% smaller standard deviation on the residual deviation from linearity. The FWHM is up to 20% narrower. The depth of the fringes is now consistent up the ramp. Pointing-specific linearity corrections allow us to fix the systematic deviation in the slopes. We demonstrated this for unresolved sources. The discovered trends with PSF sampling suggest that, we may be able to model ramps for spatially extended and resolved illumination as well.Comment: 18 pages, 20 figures, Accepted for publication in A&

Dust mineralogy and variability of the inner PDS 70 disk:Insights from JWST/MIRI MRS and Spitzer IRS observations

Context. The inner disk of the young star PDS 70 may be a site of rocky planet formation, with two giant planets detected further out. Recently, James Webb Space Telescope/Mid-Infrared Instrument (JWST/MIRI) Medium-Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) observations have revealed the presence of warm water vapour in the inner disk. Solids in the inner disk may inform us about the origin of this inner disk water and nature of the dust in the rocky planet-forming regions of the disk. Aims. We aim to constrain the chemical composition, lattice structure, and grain sizes of small silicate grains in the inner disk of PDS 70, observed both in JWST/MIRI MRS and the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (Spitzer IRS). Methods. We used a dust fitting model, called DuCK, based on a two-layer disk model considering three different sets of dust opacities. We used Gaussian random field and distribution of hollow spheres models to obtain two sets of dust opacities using the optical constants of cosmic dust analogs derived from laboratory-based measurements. These sets take into account the grain sizes as well as their shapes. The third set of opacities was obtained from the experimentally measured transmission spectra from aerosol spectroscopy. We used stoichiometric amorphous silicates, forsterite, and enstatite in our analysis. We also studied the iron content of crystalline olivine using the resonance at 23-24 μm and tested the presence of fayalite. Both iron-rich and magnesium-rich amorphous silicate dust species were also employed to fit the observed spectra. Results. The Gaussian random field opacity set agrees well with the observed spectrum, better than the other two opacity sets. In both MIRI and Spitzer spectra, amorphous silicates are the dominant dust species. Crystalline silicates are dominated by iron-poor olivine. The 23-24 μm olivine band peaks at 23.44 μm for the MIRI spectrum and 23.47 μm for the Spitzer spectrum, representing around or less than 10% of iron content in the crystalline silicate. In all of the models, we do not find strong evidence for enstatite. Moreover, the silicate band in the MIRI spectrum indicates larger grain sizes (a few microns up to 5 μm) than the Spitzer spectrum (0.1-1 μm), indicating a time-variable small grain reservoir. Conclusions. The inner PDS 70 disk is dominated by a variable reservoir of warm (T~350-500 K) amorphous silicates, with ~15% of forsterite in mass fraction. The 10μm and 18μm amorphous silicate bands are very prominent, indicating that most emission originates from optically thin dust. We suggest that the small grains detected in the PDS 70 inner disk are likely transported inward from the outer disk as a result of filtration by the pressure bump associated with the gap and fragmentation into smaller sizes at the ice line. Collisions among larger parent bodies may also contribute to the small grain reservoir in the inner disk, but these parent bodies must be enstatite-poor. In addition, the variation between MIRI and Spitzer spectra can be explained by a combination of grain growth over 15 years and a dynamical inner disk where opacity changes occur resulting from the highly variable hot (T~1000 K) innermost dust reservoir.</p

JWST MIRI/MRS in-flight absolute flux calibration and tailored fringe correction for unresolved sources

Context. The Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) is one of the four observing modes of JWST/MIRI. Using JWST in-flight data of unresolved (point) sources, we can derive the MRS absolute spectral response function (ASRF) starting from raw data. Spectral fringing, caused by coherent reflections inside the detector arrays, plays a critical role in the derivation and interpretation of the MRS ASRF. The fringe corrections implemented in the current pipeline are not optimal for non-extended sources, and a high density of molecular features particularly inhibits an accurate correction. Aims. In this paper, we present an alternative way to calibrate the MIRI/MRS data. Firstly, we derive a fringe correction that accounts for the dependence of the fringe properties on the MIRI/MRS pupil illumination and detector pixel sampling of the point spread function. Secondly, we derive the MRS ASRF using an absolute flux calibrator observed across the full 5- 28 \ub5m wavelength range of the MRS. Thirdly, we apply the new ASRF to the spectrum of a G dwarf and compare it with the output of the JWST/MIRI default data reduction pipeline. Finally, we examine the impact of the different fringe corrections on the detectability of molecular features in the G dwarf and K giant. Methods. The absolute flux calibrator HD 163466 (A-star) was used to derive tailored point source fringe flats at each of the default dither locations of the MRS. The fringe-corrected point source integrated spectrum of HD 163466 was used to derive the MRS ASRF using a theoretical model for the stellar continuum. A cross-correlation was run to quantify the uncertainty on the detection of CO, SiO, and OH in the K giant and CO in the G dwarf for different fringe corrections. Results. The point-source-tailored fringe correction and ASRF are found to perform at the same level as the current corrections, beating down the fringe contrast to the sub-percent level in the G dwarf in the longer wavelengths, whilst mitigating the alteration of real molecular features. The same tailored solutions can be applied to other MRS unresolved targets. Target acquisition is required to ensure the pointing is accurate enough to apply this method. A pointing repeatability issue in the MRS limits the effectiveness of the tailored fringe flats is at short wavelengths. Finally, resulting spectra require no scaling to make the sub-bands match, and a dichroic spectral leak at 12.2 \ub5m is removed

MINDS. Hydrocarbons detected by JWST/MIRI in the inner disk of Sz28 consistent with a high C/O gas-phase chemistry

Context. With the advent of JWST, we are acquiring unprecedented insights into the physical and chemical structure of the inner regions of planet-forming disks where terrestrial planet formation occurs. Very low-mass stars (VLMSs) are known to have a high occurrence of the terrestrial planets orbiting them. Exploring the chemical composition of the gas in these inner disk regions can help us better understand the connection between planet-forming disks and planets. Aims. The MIRI mid-Infrared Disk Survey (MINDS) project is a large JWST guaranteed time program whose aim is to characterise the chemistry and physical state of planet-forming and debris disks. We used the JWST-MIRI/MRS spectrum to investigate the gas and dust composition of the planet-forming disk around the VLMS Sz28 (M5.5, 0.12 M⊙). Methods. We used the dust-fitting tool DuCK to determine the dust continuum and to place constraints on the dust composition and grain sizes. We used 0D slab models to identify and fit the molecular spectral features, which yielded estimates on the temperature, column density, and emitting area. To test our understanding of the chemistry in the disks around VLMSs, we employed the thermochemical disk model PRODIMO and investigated the reservoirs of the detected hydrocarbons. We explored how the C/O ratio affects the inner disk chemistry. Results. JWST reveals a plethora of hydrocarbons, including CH3, CH4, C2H2 13CCH2, C2H6, C3H4, C4H2 and C6H6 which suggests a disk with a gaseous C/O &gt; 1. Additionally, we detect CO2 13CO2, HCN, and HC3N. H2O and OH are absent from the spectrum. We do not detect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Photospheric stellar absorption lines of H2O and CO are identified. Notably, our radiation thermo-chemical disk models are able to produce these detected hydrocarbons in the surface layers of the disk when C/O &gt; 1. The presence of C, C+, H, and H2 is crucial for the formation of hydrocarbons in the surface layers, and a C/O ratio larger than 1 ensures the surplus of C needed to drive this chemistry. Based on this, we predict a list of additional hydrocarbons that should also be detectable. Both amorphous and crystalline silicates (enstatite and forsterite) are present in the disk and we find grain sizes of 2 and 5 μm. Conclusions. The disk around Sz28 is rich in hydrocarbons, and its inner regions have a high gaseous C/O ratio. In contrast, it is the first VLMS disk in the MINDS sample to show both distinctive dust features and a rich hydrocarbon chemistry. The presence of large grains indicates dust growth and evolution. Thermo-chemical disk models that employ an extended hydrocarbon chemical network together with C/O &gt;1 are able to explain the hydrocarbon species detected in the spectrum.</p

JWST MIRI flight performance: The Medium-Resolution Spectrometer

The Medium-Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) provides one of the four operating modes of the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The MRS is an integral field spectrometer, measuring the spatial and spectral distributions of light across the 5-28 $\mu m$ wavelength range with a spectral resolving power between 3700-1300. We present the MRS's optical, spectral, and spectro-photometric performance, as achieved in flight, and we report on the effects that limit the instrument's ultimate sensitivity. The MRS flight performance has been quantified using observations of stars, planetary nebulae, and planets in our Solar System. The precision and accuracy of this calibration was checked against celestial calibrators with well-known flux levels and spectral features. We find that the MRS geometric calibration has a distortion solution accuracy relative to the commanded position of 8 mas at 5 $\mu m$ and 23 mas at 28 $\mu m$. The wavelength calibration is accurate to within 9 km/sec at 5 $\mu m$ and 27 km/sec at 28 $\mu m$. The uncertainty in the absolute spectro-photometric calibration accuracy was estimated at 5.6 +- 0.7 %. The MIRI calibration pipeline is able to suppress the amplitude of spectral fringes to below 1.5 % for both extended and point sources across the entire wavelength range. The MRS point spread function (PSF) is 60 % broader than the diffraction limit along its long axis at 5 $\mu m$ and is 15 % broader at 28 $\mu m$. The MRS flight performance is found to be better than prelaunch expectations. The MRS is one of the most subscribed observing modes of JWST and is yielding many high-profile publications. It is currently humanity's most powerful instrument for measuring the mid-infrared spectra of celestial sources and is expected to continue as such for many years to come.Comment: 16 pages, 21 figure

Erratum:“MINDS. JWST-MIRI Observations of a Spatially Resolved Atomic Jet and Polychromatic Molecular Wind toward SY Cha” (2025, ApJ, 980, 148)

The published article contained several errors in the calculation of the annular flux and the total H2 mass. Table 2 gives the updated annular flux values. Additionally, the rotation diagram analysis does not account for the normalization used in the partition function of A. Popovas &amp; U. G. Jørgensen (2016), which requires also normalizing the degeneracies by a factor of 0.25. The S(8) line is excluded from the rotation diagram fit due to contamination from the overlapping CO emission. Correcting for these errors results in a lower temperature for the hot H2 component, a lower column density for both the hot and the warm component, and a lower H2 mass. Table 3 gives the updated properties derived from the rotation diagram fits shown in Figure 4. This results in an order of magnitude decrease in the derived H2 wind mass loss rate, which has been updated to 3.77 ± 0.63 × 10−10M⊙ yr−1 from the previous derived rate of 3 ± 2 × 10−9 M⊙ yr−1 . This lower rate is within the expected range (relative to the stellar accretion rate) for an MHD wind, as well as a photoevaporative wind. (Table presented) (Figure presented) (Table presented).</p

MINDS Cha Hα 1, a brown dwarf with a hydrocarbon-rich disk

Context. The chemistry of disks around brown dwarfs (BDs) remains largely unexplored due to their faintness. Despite the efforts performed with Spitzer, we have far less understanding of planet formation, chemical composition, disk structure, and evolution in disks around BDs compared to their more massive counterparts (T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be stars), which are more readily studied due to their greater brightness. Recent JWST observations, with up to an order of magnitude improvement in both spectral and spatial resolution, have shown that these systems are chemically rich, offering valuable insights into giant planet formation. Aims. As part of the MIRI mid-INfrared Disk Survey (MINDS) JWST guaranteed time program, we aim to characterize the gas and dust composition of the disk around the brown dwarf [NC98] Cha HA 1, hereafter Cha Hα 1, in the mid-infrared. Methods. We obtained data from the MIRI Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) from 4.9 to 28 μm (R ∼ 1500–3500; FWHM ∼ 0.2″–1.2″). We used the dust fitting tool DuCK to investigate the dust composition and grain sizes, while we identified and fit molecular emission in the spectrum using slab models. Results. Compared with disks around very low mass stars, clear silicate emission features are seen in this BD disk. In addition, JWST reveals a plethora of hydrocarbons, including C2H2 13CCH2, CH3, CH4, C2H4, C4H2, C3H4, C2H6, and C6H6 which suggest a disk with a gas C/O &gt; 1. Additionally, we detected CO2 13CO2, HCN, H2, and H2O. Notably, CO and OH are absent from the spectrum. The dust is dominated by large ∼4 μm size amorphous silicates (MgSiO3). We inferred a small dust mass fraction (&gt; 10%) of 5 μm size crystalline forsterite. We did not detect any polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Conclusions. The mid-infrared spectrum of Cha Hα 1 shows the most diverse chemistry seen to date in a BD protoplanetary disk, consisting of a strong dust feature, 12 carbon-bearing molecules plus H2, and water. The diverse molecular environment offers a unique opportunity to test our understanding of BD disk chemistry and how it affects the possible planets forming in them.</p

Observations of the planetary nebula SMP LMC 058 with the JWST MIRI medium resolution spectrometer

During the commissioning of JWST, the medium-resolution spectrometer (MRS) on the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) observed the planetary nebula SMP LMC 058 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The MRS was designed to provide medium resolution (R = λ/Δλ) 3D spectroscopy in the whole MIRI range. SMP LMC 058 is the only source observed in JWST commissioning that is both spatially and spectrally unresolved by the MRS and is a good test of JWST's capabilities. The new MRS spectra reveal a wealth of emission lines not previously detected in this planetary nebula. From these lines, the spectral resolving power (λ/Δλ) of the MRS is confirmed to be in the range R = 4000-1500, depending on the MRS spectral sub-band. In addition, the spectra confirm that the carbon-rich dust emission is from complex hydrocarbons and SiC grains and that there is little to no time evolution of the SiC dust and emission line strengths over a 17-yr epoch. These commissioning data reveal the great potential of the MIRI MRS for the study of circumstellar and interstellar material.</p

MINDS. JWST-MIRI Reveals a Dynamic Gas-Rich Inner Disk Inside the Cavity of SY Cha

SY Cha is a T Tauri star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk with a large cavity seen in the millimeter continuum but has the spectral energy distribution (SED) of a full disk. Here we report the first results from JWST-MIRI Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) observations taken as part of the MIRI mid-INfrared Disk Survey (MINDS) GTO Program. The much improved resolution and sensitivity of MIRI-MRS compared to Spitzer enables a robust analysis of the previously detected H2O, CO, HCN, and CO2 emission as well as a marginal detection of C2H2. We also report the first robust detection of mid-infrared OH and ro-vibrational CO emission in this source. The derived molecular column densities reveal the inner disk of SY Cha to be rich in both oxygen and carbon bearing molecules. This is in contrast to PDS 70, another protoplanetary disk with a large cavity observed with JWST, which displays much weaker line emission. In the SY Cha disk, the continuum, and potentially the line, flux varies substantially between the new JWST observations and archival Spitzer observations, indicative of a highly dynamic inner disk.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in Ap

A multi-instrument investigation into the molecule-rich JWST-MIRI spectrum of the DF Tau binary system

Context. The majority of young stars form in multiple systems, the properties of which can significantly impact the evolution of any circumstellar disks. Aims. We investigate the physical and chemical properties of the equal-mass, small-separation (∼66 milliarcsecond, ∼9 au) binary system DF Tau. Previous spatially resolved observations indicate that only DF Tau A has a circumstellar disk, while DF Tau B does not, as concluded by a lack of accretion signatures and a near-infrared excess. Methods. We present JWST-MIRI MRS observations of DF Tau. The MIRI spectrum shows emission from a forest of H2O lines and emission from CO, C2H2, HCN, CO2, and OH. Local thermodynamic equilibrium slab models were used to determine the properties of the gas. The binary system is not spatially or spectrally resolved in the MIRI observations; therefore, we analyzed high spatial and spectral resolution observations from ALMA, VLTI-GRAVITY, and IRTF-iSHELL to aid in the interpretation of the molecular emission observed with JWST. Results. The 1.3 mm ALMA observations show two equal-brightness sources of compact (R ≲ 3 au) continuum emission that are detected at high significance, with separations consistent with astrometry from VLTI-GRAVITY and movement consistent with the known orbital parameters of the system. We interpret this as a robust detection of the disk around DF Tau B, which we suggest may host a small (∼1 au) cavity; such a cavity would reconcile all of the observations of this source. In contrast, the disk around DF Tau A is expected to be a full disk, and spatially and spectrally resolved dust and gas emission traced by ground-based infrared observations point to hot, close-in (≲0.2 au) material around this star. High-temperature emission (∼500–1000 K) from H2O, HCN, and potentially C2H2 in the MIRI data likely originates in the disk around DF Tau A, while a cold H2O component (≲200 K) with an extended emitting area is consistent with an origin from both disks. Conclusions. Given the unique characteristics of this binary pair, complementary observations are critical for constraining the properties of these disks. Despite the very compact outer disk properties, the inner disk composition and the conditions of the DF Tau disks are remarkably similar to those of isolated systems, suggesting that neither the outer disk evolution nor the close binary nature are driving factors in setting the inner disk chemistry in this system. However, constraining the geometry of the disk around DF Tau B, via higher angular resolution ALMA observations for instance, would provide additional insight into the properties of the mid-infrared gas emission observed with MIRI. JWST observations of spatially resolved binaries, at a range of separations, will be important for understanding the impact of binarity on inner disk chemistry more generally.</p