This is a test detector image from the NIRISS instrument operating in single-slot spectroscopy (SOSS) mode while pointing at a bright star. Each color seen in the image corresponds to a specific infrared wavelength between 0.6 and 2.8 microns. The black lines seen on the spectra are the telltale signature of the hydrogen atoms present in the star. NIRISS is a contribution of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to the Webb project, which provides unique monitoring capabilities that complement other onboard instruments. Credit: NASA, CSA and NIRISS team / Loic Albert, University of Montreal
One of the four major scientific instruments of the James Webb Space Telescope, known as the Near Infrared Image Slotless Spectrograph (NIRISS), has completed its post-launch preparation and is now ready for science.
The last NIRISS mode, which had to be switched off before the instrument was declared ready for scientific operations, was the possibility of single-slit spectroscopy (SOSS). The heart of the SOSS mode is a specialized prism that scatters the light of a cosmic source to create three distinctive spectra (arcs), revealing the nuances of more than 2,000 infrared colors gathered simultaneously in one observation. This mode will be used specifically to study the atmospheres of transient exoplanets, ie. planets that periodically eclipse their star, momentarily reducing the brightness of the star for a period of time. By comparing the spectra collected during and before or after a transit event with great accuracy, it is possible to determine not only whether the exoplanet has an atmosphere or not, but also what atoms and molecules are in it.
NASA’s Space Web Telescope Artist’s Concept. Credit: NASA
“I am so excited and excited to think that we have finally come to the end of this two-decade-long journey of Canada’s contribution to the mission. All four NIRISS modes are not only ready, but the tool as a whole works significantly better than we expected. I shudder to think that we are only a few days away from the start of scientific operations, and in particular from NIRISS, which is exploring its first exoplanetary atmospheres, “said Rene Doyon, NIRISS’s principal investigator and Webb’s fine-tuning sensor at the University. in Montreal.
Following the completion of the NIRISS commissioning activities after launch, the Webb team will continue to focus on testing the other five modes of its other instruments. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, in partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA, will release its first full-color images and spectroscopic data on July 12, 2022.
Webb’s Medium Infrared Spectroscopy will reveal molecules, elements provided by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Citation: Webb’s NIRISS instrument is ready to see space in over 2,000 infrared colors (2022, June 27), extracted on June 27, 2022.
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