NIRSpec

Last updated
Near-Infrared Spectrograph
NIRSpec Astrium.jpg
NIRSpec Instrument within the Astrium Cleanroom in Ottobrunn, Germany
Mission type Astronomy
Operator ESA with contributions from NASA
Website ESA Europe
Astrium Germany
NASA United States
Mission duration5 years (design)
10 years (goal)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer Astrium
Launch mass196 kg (432 lb) [1]
Start of mission
Launch dateDecember 25, 2021
RocketAs part of JWST onboard Ariane 5
Launch site Kourou ELA-3
Contractor Arianespace
Main telescope
Type Spectrograph
Wavelengths0.6 µm (orange) to 5.0 µm (near-infrared)
 

The NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) is one of the four scientific instruments flown on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). [2] The JWST is the follow-on mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and is developed to receive more information about the origins of the universe by observing infrared light from the first stars and galaxies. In comparison to HST, its instruments will allow looking further back in time and will study the so-called Dark Ages during which the universe was opaque, about 150 to 800 million years after the Big Bang.

Contents

The NIRSpec instrument is a multi-object spectrograph and is capable of simultaneously measuring the near-infrared spectrum of up to 100 objects like stars or galaxies with low, medium and high spectral resolutions. The observations are performed in a 3 arcmin × 3 arcmin field of view over the wavelength range from 0.6 µm to 5.0 µm. It also features a set of slits and an aperture for high contrast spectroscopy of individual sources, as well as an integral-field unit (IFU) for 3D spectroscopy. [3] The instrument is a contribution of the European Space Agency (ESA) and is built by Astrium together with a group of European subcontractors. [4]

Overview

Infographic of JWST instruments and their observation ranges of light by wavelength JWST-instrument-ranges.jpg
Infographic of JWST instruments and their observation ranges of light by wavelength

The James Webb Space Telescope's main science themes are: [5]

The NIRSpec instrument operates at −235 °C and is passively cooled by cold space radiators which are mounted on the JWST Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). The radiators are connected to NIRSpec using thermally conductive heat straps. The mirror mounts and the optical bench base plate all manufactured out of silicon carbide ceramic SiC100. The instrument size is approximately 1900 mm × 1400 mm × 700 mm and weighs 196 kg (432 lb) including 100 kg of silicon carbide. The operation of the instrument is performed with three electronic boxes.

The Calibration Assembly, one component of the NIRSpec, at University College London prior to integration. NIRSpec calibration assembly.jpg
The Calibration Assembly, one component of the NIRSpec, at University College London prior to integration.

NIRSpec includes 4 mechanisms which are:

Further NIRSpec includes two electro-optical assemblies which are:

And finally the Integral Field Unit (IFU) image slicer, used in the instrument IFU mode.

The optical path is represented by the following silicon carbide mirror assemblies:

Science objectives

Operational modes

Basic principle of Multi-Object Spectroscopy Basic principle of Multi-Object Spectroscopy.png
Basic principle of Multi-Object Spectroscopy

In order to achieve the scientific objectives NIRSpec has four operational modes: [3]

Multi-Object Spectroscopy (MOS) In MOS the total instrument field of view of 3 × 3 arcminutes is covered using 4 arrays of programmable slit masks. These programmable slit masks consist of 250 000 micro shutters where each can individually be programmed to 'open' or 'closed'. The contrast between an 'open' or 'closed' shutter is better than 1:2000. [7] If an object like e.g. a galaxy is placed into an 'open' shutter, the spectra of the light emitted by the object can be dispersed and imaged onto the detector plane. In this mode up to 100 objects can simultaneously be observed and the spectra be measured.

Integral Field Unit Mode (IFU) The integral field spectrometry will primarily be used for large, extended objects like galaxies. In this mode a 3 × 3 arcsecond field of view is sliced into 0.1 arcsecond bands which are thereafter re-arranged into a long slit. This allows to obtain spatially resolved spectra of large scenes and can be used to measure the motion speed and direction within an extended object. Since measured spectra in the IFU mode would overlap with spectra of the MOS mode it can not be used in parallel.

High-Contrast Slit Spectroscopy (SLIT)

A set of 5 fixed slits are available in order to perform high contrast spectroscopic observations which is e.g. required for spectroscopic observations of transiting extra-solar planets. Of the five fixed slits, three are 0.2 arcseconds wide, one is 0.4 arcsecond wide and one is a square aperture of 1.6 arcseconds. The SLIT mode can be used simultaneously with the MOS or IFU modes.

Imaging Mode (IMA)

The imaging mode is used for target acquisition only. In this mode no dispersive element is placed in the optical path and any objects are directly imaged on the detector. Since the microshutter array which is sitting in an instrument intermediate focal plan is imaged in parallel, it is possible to arrange the JWST observatory such that any to be observed objects fall directly into the center of open shutters (MOS-mode), the IFU aperture (IFU-mode) or the slits (SLIT mode).

Performance parameters

The NIRSpec key performance parameters are: [3] [4] [8]

PARAMETERVALUE
Wavelength range0.6 µm – 5.0 µm
When operating in R = 1000 and R = 2700 mode, split in three spectral bands:
1.0 µm – 1.8 µm Band I
1.7 µm – 3.0 µm Band II
2.9 µm – 5.0 µm Band III
Field of View3 × 3 arcmin
Spectral resolutionR = 100 (MOS)
R = 1000 (MOS + fixed Slits)
R = 2700 (fixed Slits + IFU)
Number of commendable open/ closed spectrometer slitsMEMS technology based on micro-shutter arrays with 4 times 365 × 171 = 250 000 individual shutters, each of them with a size of 80 µm × 180 µm
Detector2 MCT Sensor Chip Assemblies (SCA's) of 2048 × 2048 pixels each. Pixel pitch = 18 µm × 18 µm
Wavefront Error, including TelescopeDiffraction limited at 2.45 µm at MSA: WFE = 185 nm RMS (Strehl = 0.80)
Diffraction limited at 3.17 µm at FPA: WFE = 238 nm RMS (Strehl = 0.80)
Limiting sensitivity* In R = 1000 mode, using one single 200 mas wide shutter or fixed slit, NIRSpec will be capable of measuring the flux in an unresolved emission line of 5.2×10−22 Wm−2 from a point source at an observed wavelength of 2 µm at SNR = 10 per resolution element in a total exposure of 105 s or less
* In R = 100 mode, using one single 200 mas wide shutter or fixed slit, NIRSpec will be capable of measuring the continuum flux of 1.2×10−33 Wm−2Hz−1 from a point source at an observed wavelength of 3 µm at SNR = 10 per resolution element in a total exposure of 104 s or less
NIRSpec optics envelopeApproximately 1900 mm × 1400 mm × 700 mm
Instrument mass195 kg (430 lb) with about 100 kg silicon carbide parts, Electronic boxes: 30.5 kg (67 lb)
Operating temperature38 K (−235.2 °C; −391.3 °F)

.

Industrial partners

NIRSpec has been built by Astrium Germany with subcontractors and partners spread over Europe and with the contribution of NASA from the US which provided the Detector Subsystem and the Micro-shutter Assembly.

NIRSpec industrial partners NIRSpec Industrial Partners.png
NIRSpec industrial partners

The individual subcontractors and their corresponding contributions were: [9]

Images

Multi-Object Spectroscopy (MOS)
Integral Field Unit

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Extracting Information From Starlight". NASA. 2010-03-30. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  2. ↑ Greenhouse, M. (2013). MacEwen, Howard A; Breckinridge, James B (eds.). "The JWST science instrument payload: mission context and status". Proceedings of SPIE. UV/Optical/IR Space Telescopes and Instruments: Innovative Technologies and Concepts VI. 8860: 886004. Bibcode:2013SPIE.8860E..04G. doi:10.1117/12.2023366. S2CID   173183643.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ferruit, P.; et al. (2012). Clampin, Mark C; Fazio, Giovanni G; MacEwen, Howard A; Oschmann, Jacobus M (eds.). "The JWST near-infrared spectrograph NIRSpec: status". Proceedings of SPIE. Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2012: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave. 8442: 84422O. Bibcode:2012SPIE.8442E..2OF. doi:10.1117/12.925810. S2CID   123316716.
  4. 1 2 "ESA Science & Technology: NIRSpec – the Near-Infrared Spectrograph on JWST". Sci.esa.int. 2013-09-06. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
  5. ↑ "The James Webb Space Telescope". Jwst.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2015-01-20.
  6. ↑ Zaroubi, Saleem (2013). "The Epoch of Reionization". The First Galaxies. Astrophysics and Space Science Library. Vol. 396. pp. 45–101. arXiv: 1206.0267 . doi:10.1007/978-3-642-32362-1_2. ISBN   978-3-642-32361-4. S2CID   58931662.
  7. ↑ Kutyrev, A.S.; et al. (2008). Oschmann, Jr, Jacobus M; De Graauw, Mattheus W. M; MacEwen, Howard A (eds.). "Microshutter arrays: high contrast programmable field masks for JWST NIRSpec". Proceedings of SPIE. Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2008: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter. 7010: 70103D. Bibcode:2008SPIE.7010E..3DK. doi:10.1117/12.790192. S2CID   106493827.
  8. ↑ Posselt, W.; et al. (2004). Mather, John C (ed.). "NIRSpec – Near Infrared Spectrograph for the JWST". Proceedings of SPIE. Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Space Telescopes. 5487: 688–697. Bibcode:2004SPIE.5487..688P. doi:10.1117/12.555659. S2CID   121365299.
  9. ↑ "JWST NIRSpec Press Conference". Astrium GmbH, Ottobrunn. 2013.
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