164 research outputs found
Optical performance of the JWST MIRI flight model: characterization of the point spread function at high-resolution
The Mid Infra Red Instrument (MIRI) is one of the four instruments onboard
the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), providing imaging, coronagraphy and
spectroscopy over the 5-28 microns band. To verify the optical performance of
the instrument, extensive tests were performed at CEA on the flight model (FM)
of the Mid-InfraRed IMager (MIRIM) at cryogenic temperatures and in the
infrared. This paper reports on the point spread function (PSF) measurements at
5.6 microns, the shortest operating wavelength for imaging. At 5.6 microns the
PSF is not Nyquist-sampled, so we use am original technique that combines a
microscanning measurement strategy with a deconvolution algorithm to obtain an
over-resolved MIRIM PSF. The microscanning consists in a sub-pixel scan of a
point source on the focal plane. A data inversion method is used to reconstruct
PSF images that are over-resolved by a factor of 7 compared to the native
resolution of MIRI. We show that the FWHM of the high-resolution PSFs were
5-10% wider than that obtained with Zemax simulations. The main cause was
identified as an out-of-specification tilt of the M4 mirror. After correction,
two additional test campaigns were carried out, and we show that the shape of
the PSF is conform to expectations. The FWHM of the PSFs are 0.18-0.20 arcsec,
in agreement with simulations. 56.1-59.2% of the total encircled energy
(normalized to a 5 arcsec radius) is contained within the first dark Airy ring,
over the whole field of view. At longer wavelengths (7.7-25.5 microns), this
percentage is 57-68%. MIRIM is thus compliant with the optical quality
requirements. This characterization of the MIRIM PSF, as well as the
deconvolution method presented here, are of particular importance, not only for
the verification of the optical quality and the MIRI calibration, but also for
scientific applications.Comment: 13 pages, submitted to SPIE Proceedings vol. 7731, Space Telescopes
and Instrumentation 2010: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wav
Primary and secondary eclipse spectroscopy with JWST: exploring the exoplanet parameter space
Eclipse exoplanet spectroscopy has yielded detection of H_2O, CH_4, CO_2 and
CO in the atmosphere of hot jupiters and neptunes. About 40 large terrestrial
planets are announced or confirmed, two of which are transiting, and another
deemed habitable. Hence the potential for eclipse spectroscopy of terrestrial
planets with James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has become an active field of
study. We explore the parameter space (type of stars, planet orbital periods
and types, and instruments/wavelengths) in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio
(S/N) achievable on the detection of spectroscopic features. We use analytic
formula and model data for both the astrophysical scene and the instrument, to
plot S/N contour maps, while indicating how the S/N scales with the fixed
parameters. We systematically compare stellar photon noise-only figures with
ones including detailed instrumental and zodiacal noises. Likelihood of
occurring targets is based both on model and catalog star population of the
solar neighborhood. The 9.6 micron ozone band is detectable (S/N = 3) with
JWST, for a warm super-earth 6.7 pc away, using ~2% of the 5-year nominal
mission time (summing observations, M4V and lighter host star for primary
eclipses, M5V for secondary). If every star up to this mass limit and distance
were to host a habitable planet, there should be statistically ~1 eclipsing
case. Investigation of systematic noises in the co-addition of 5 years worth-,
tens of days separated-, hours-long observations is critical, complemented by
dedicated characterisation of the instruments, currently in integration phase.
The census of nearby transiting habitable planets must be complete before the
beginning of science operations.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 16 pages, 19 figure
SPECULOOS exoplanet search and its prototype on TRAPPIST
One of the most significant goals of modern science is establishing whether
life exists around other suns. The most direct path towards its achievement is
the detection and atmospheric characterization of terrestrial exoplanets with
potentially habitable surface conditions. The nearest ultracool dwarfs (UCDs),
i.e. very-low-mass stars and brown dwarfs with effective temperatures lower
than 2700 K, represent a unique opportunity to reach this goal within the next
decade. The potential of the transit method for detecting potentially habitable
Earth-sized planets around these objects is drastically increased compared to
Earth-Sun analogs. Furthermore, only a terrestrial planet transiting a nearby
UCD would be amenable for a thorough atmospheric characterization, including
the search for possible biosignatures, with near-future facilities such as the
James Webb Space Telescope. In this chapter, we first describe the physical
properties of UCDs as well as the unique potential they offer for the detection
of potentially habitable Earth-sized planets suitable for atmospheric
characterization. Then, we present the SPECULOOS ground-based transit survey,
that will search for Earth-sized planets transiting the nearest UCDs, as well
as its prototype survey on the TRAPPIST telescopes. We conclude by discussing
the prospects offered by the recent detection by this prototype survey of a
system of seven temperate Earth-sized planets transiting a nearby UCD,
TRAPPIST-1.Comment: Submitted as a chapter in the "Handbook of Exoplanets" (editors: H.
Deeg & J.A. Belmonte; Section Editor: N. Narita). 16 pages, 4 figure
Circumstellar disks and planets. Science cases for next-generation optical/infrared long-baseline interferometers
We present a review of the interplay between the evolution of circumstellar
disks and the formation of planets, both from the perspective of theoretical
models and dedicated observations. Based on this, we identify and discuss
fundamental questions concerning the formation and evolution of circumstellar
disks and planets which can be addressed in the near future with optical and
infrared long-baseline interferometers. Furthermore, the importance of
complementary observations with long-baseline (sub)millimeter interferometers
and high-sensitivity infrared observatories is outlined.Comment: 83 pages; Accepted for publication in "Astronomy and Astrophysics
Review"; The final publication is available at http://www.springerlink.co
Single-cell analysis: visualizing pharmaceutical and metabolite uptake in cells with label-free 3D mass spectrometry imaging
Detecting metabolites and parent compound within a cell type is now a priority for pharmaceutical development. In this context, three-dimensional secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) imaging was used to investigate the cellular uptake of the antiarrhythmic agent amiodarone, a phospholipidosis-inducing pharmaceutical compound. The high lateral resolution and 3D imaging capabilities of SIMS combined with the multiplex capabilities of ToF mass spectrometric detection allows for the visualization of pharmaceutical compound and metabolites in single cells. The intact, unlabeled drug compound was successfully detected at therapeutic dosages in macrophages (cell line: NR8383). Chemical information from endogenous biomolecules was used to correlate drug distributions with morphological features. From this spatial analysis, amiodarone was detected throughout the cell with the majority of the compound found in the membrane and subsurface regions and absent in the nuclear regions. Similar results were obtained when the macrophages were doped with amiodarone metabolite, desethylamiodarone. The FWHM lateral resolution measured across an intracellular interface in a high lateral resolution ion images was approximately 550 nm. Overall, this approach provides the basis for studying cellular uptake of pharmaceutical compounds and their metabolites on the single cell level
Uniform Atmospheric Retrieval Analysis of Ultracool Dwarfs II : Properties of 11 T-dwarfs
Accepted ApJ. Supplemental material including full posteriors will be included through the link in the published ApJ article © 2017 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.Brown dwarf spectra are rich in information revealing of the chemical and physical processes operating in their atmospheres. We apply a recently developed atmospheric retrieval tool to an ensemble of late T-dwarf (600-800K) near infrared spectra. With these spectra we are able to place direct constraints the molecular abundances of HO, CH, CO, CO, NH, HS, and Na+K, gravity, thermal structure (and effective temperature), photometric radius, and cloud optical depths. We find that ammonia, water, methane, and the alkali metals are present and well constrained in all 11 objects. From the abundance constraints we find no significant trend in the water, methane, or ammonia abundances with temperature, but find a very strong (25) increasing trend in the alkali metal abundances with effective temperature, indicative of alkali rainout. We also find little evidence for optically thick clouds. With the methane and water abundances, we derive the intrinsic atmospheric metallicity and carbon-to-oxygen ratios. We find in our sample, that metallicities are typically sub solar and carbon-to-oxygen ratios are somewhat super solar, different than expectations from the local stellar population. We also find that the retrieved vertical thermal profiles are consistent with radiative equilibrium over the photospheric regions. Finally, we find that our retrieved effective temperatures are lower than previous inferences for some objects and that our radii are larger than expectations from evolutionary models, possibly indicative of un-resolved binaries. This investigation and methodology represents a paradigm in linking spectra to the determination of the fundamental chemical and physical processes governing cool brown dwarf atmospheres.Peer reviewe
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