The document summarizes the science goals and capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It discusses how JWST will study the first stars and galaxies, characterize exoplanets, and investigate topics like dark energy. Key areas of research include observing the early universe to map the first luminous sources and determine reionization; detecting the first supernovae; studying star and planet formation; measuring dark energy through observations of distant supernovae; and directly imaging exoplanets and analyzing their atmospheres. The document outlines the telescope's role in addressing major questions across astronomy and its potential for transformative discoveries.

1. James Webb Space Telescope
Science Updates
John C. Mather
JWST Senior Project Scientist
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
JWST-PRES-012898

2. JWST and related space missions
• WMAP 6/30/01 to Sept. 2010: 3.2 – 13 mm; Big Bang
• HST upgraded! COS and WFC3 - 0.1 to 1.7 µm
• Spitzer: was 3.6 – 180 µm, now 3.6 & 4.5 µm
• Kepler: launched 3/6 to find transiting Earths
• Planck launched 5/14: 350 – 10,000 µm; Big Bang
• Herschel launched 5/14: 60 – 670 µm
• WISE - launch 11/1/09 - 3.3, 4.7, 12, and 23 μm survey
• TESS – SMEX proposal for all-sky transiting planet survey –
visible/near IR
• JANUS – SMEX proposal for GRBs to z = 12
• JDEM/IDECS – study dark energy
• LISA – study black hole mergers to edge of the Universe
May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa 2

3. End of the dark ages:
first light and reionization
Hubble Ultra Deep Field
… to identify the first luminous sources to
form and to determine the ionization history of
the early universe.
May 19, 2009 3
JWST Ottawa

4. SN 2006 gy – brightest supernova
• Could be the first observation of a pair-production instability, from the
death of a very massive star.
– Stars are normally held up by the balance of light pressure and gravity
– Gamma rays producing electron/positron pairs scatters light, reducing
pressure. Instability creates runaway collapse.
• A nearby analog for the first stars in the Universe.
Hubble Image of Eta Carina
• Progenitor was similar to Eta Carina.
γ  e– + e+  γ
May 19, 2009 4
JWST Ottawa

5. Pair-production SNe as First Stars
• Good news: JWST can easily
detect these when stars first
formed (but not as transients).
• Interesting news: pair-production
instability doesn’t necessarily
require primordial composition.
May 19, 2009 5
JWST Ottawa

6. May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa
Gamma Ray Burst 4/23/09 most distant object yet found
(z = 8.2) – supernova jet aimed at us!
6
JANUS GRB (SMEX) search proposed, could see to z = 12

7. When was re-ionization?
Fan, Carilli & Keating 2006, ARAA, 44, 415
Patchy
Absorption
Redshift
Wavelength Wavelength Wavelength
Lyman Forest
Absorption
Black Gunn-
Peterson trough
z<zi
z~zi z>zi
Neutral IGM
.
6.42
6.00
5.74
May 19, 2009 7
JWST Ottawa

8. May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa
8
Dark Energy!
MacArthur Fellow
2008 - Adam Riess
S. Perlmutter, A. Riess, B. Schmidt

9. JWST, Dark Energy, Dark Matter
• JDEM/IDECS Science Coordinating Group report (Neil Gehrels,
GSFC), http://jdem.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/SCG_Report_final.pdf
• Problem: determine acceleration parameter now and in the past
• Multiple techniques required due to likely systematic errors
• JDEM/IDECS wide-field surveys will find targets for JWST
• JWST contributes by
– Measuring very distant supernovae (standard candles?)
– Measuring effects of dark matter too (distorted images of distant
objects, masses of galaxies and clusters out to high redshift,
rotation curves, etc.)
– Cosmic archeology at high redshift (prior to acceleration,
formation of galaxies and clusters)
May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa 9

10. How does environment affect star-formation and vice-
versa?
What is the sub-stellar initial mass function?
• Massive stars produce winds and
radiation
– Either disrupt star formation, or
causes it.
• The boundary between the smallest
brown dwarf stars and planets is
unknown
– Different processes? Or continuum?
• Observations:
– Survey dark clouds, “elephant
trunks” and star-forming regions
The Eagle Nebula
as seen by HST
The Eagle Nebula
as seen in the infrared
May 19, 2009 10
JWST Ottawa

11. Exoplanets
• As of 13 May, 347 total:
– Radial velocity: 321 planets, 33 multiple planet systems
– Transiting: 59 planets, no multiples (most good JWST targets)
– Microlensing: 8 planets, 1 multiple system
– Imaging: 11 planets, 1 system (a triple) (all good JWST targets)
– Timing: 7 planets, 2 multiple planet systems
• Kepler launched Mar. 6, 2009, will monitor ~ 100,000
stars, find handful of Earths, thousands of others
• TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), proposed
SMEX, would survey nearest stars, best candidates for
detailed follow-up with JWST
• JWST Transits Working Group established – M. Clampin
May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa 11

12. May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa 12
Planetary systems and the origins
of life
Kalas, Graham and Clampin 2005

13. Images of Exoplanets
• "It's like a London bus
- you've been waiting
for one for ages and
suddenly four come
along at once.” – M.
McCaughrean, BBC
May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa 13

14. 14
Fomalhaut
• Advanced Camera for Surveys achieved the optical detection of an
exoplanet around a star 25 light years from Earth.
– First optical detection of a massive planet since Neptune in 1846.
– Like the discovery of Neptune the existence of Fomalhaut b was
predicted in advance by theory.
• Planet’s mass lies between that of Neptune and Jupiter
– Constrained by disk dynamics
Named #2 Science
Discovery of 2008

15. Planets Seen!
May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa 15
β Pictoris b
A.-M. Lagrange et al. 2008
VLT
HR 8799 b,c,d
Marois et al. 2008
Gemini & Keck
Massive dust disk as if Mars
collided with Earth
Fomalhaut b
Kalas et al. 2008
HST

16. Primary
• Planet blocks light from star
• Visible/NIR light (Hubble/JWST)
• Radius of planet/star
• Absorption spectroscopy of planet’s
atmosphere
• JWST: Look for moons, constituents
of atmosphere, Earth-like planets
with water, weather
• Star blocks light from planet
• Mid-Infrared light (Spitzer/JWST)
• Direct detection of photons from
planet
• Temperature of planet
• Emission from surface
• JWST: Atmospheric characteristics,
constituents of atmosphere, map
planets
Secondary
May 19, 2009 16
JWST Ottawa

17. Dwarf Planets and Plutoids
May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa 17
May be 2000 more when whole sky is surveyed
With moving object tracking JWST is perfect tool

18. Where they are
May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa 18

19. 19
May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa
Science Working Group (SWG) = Standing panel of science
subject matter experts to advise Project and HQ
• Several SWG and other science team members are
here today
• Many scientists, but only one source of science
requirements exist across the JWST Program
JWST Science Working Group
John Mather
(Chair)
GSFC Senior Project Scientist
Mark Clampin GSFC Observatory project Scientist
Rene Doyon University of Montreal TFI Science Lead
Kathy Flanagan STScI S&OC Head
Marijn Franx Max Planck Institute NIRSpec Science Representative
Jon Gardner GSFC Deputy Senior Project Scientist
Matt Greenhouse GSFC ISIM Project Scientist
Heidi Hammel Space Science Institute Interdisciplinary Scientist
John Hutchings Herzberg Inst of Astrophysics CSA Project Scientist
Peter Jakobsen ESTEC ESA Project Scientist
Simon Lilly Swiss Institute of Technology Interdisciplinary Scientist
Jonathan Lunine University of Arizona Interdisciplinary Scientist
Mark McCaughrean University of Exeter Interdisciplinary Scientist
Matt Mountain STScI Telescope Scientist
George Rieke University of Arizona MIRI Science Lead
Marcia Rieke University of Arizona NIRCam PI
George Sonneborn GSFC Ground Segment Project Scientist
Massimo Stiavelli STScI Interdisciplinary Scientist
Rogier Windhorst Arizona State University Interdisciplinary Scientist
Gillian Wright United Kingdom ATC MIRI European Science Lead
Senior Project
Scientist
Science Working Group
NIRCam
Science Team
NIRSpec
Science
Team
MIRI
Science
Team
FGS
Science
Team
S&OC
WIT
Team
M. Rieke G. Rieke
Jakobsen Doyon Flanagan
JWST Science Requirements
JWST-RQMT-002558
JWST Mission Requirements
JWST-RQMT-000634
JWST Observatory Spec
JWST-SPEC-002020
ISIM Requirements
JWST-RQMT-000835

20. More Info
• 600 MB tutorial: Decadal Survey White Papers
http://sites.nationalacademies.org/bpa/BPA_050603
• 7 JWST White Papers submitted:
– The Scientific Capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope – Jon
Gardner
– Comparative Planetology: Transiting Exoplanet Science with JWST –
Mark Clampin
– Planetary Systems and Star Formation with JWST – George Rieke
– Study of Planetary Systems and Solar System Objects with JWST –
George Sonneborn
– Stellar Populations with JWST: the Beginning and the End – Margaret
Meixner
– Galaxies Across Cosmic Time with JWST – Rogier Windhorst
– First light and reionization : open questions in the post-JWST era –
Massimo Stiavelli
May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa 20

21. More Info:
May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa 21
Download for free at:
jwst.gsfc.nasa.gov

22. • Questions?
May 19, 2009 JWST Ottawa 22