JWST Archives

Sketch of typical dust grain chemical inventory. We suggest that OCN− , CH3CN and C2H5CN likely start to form in the cold dense core phase but are enhanced thermally during the warm-up stage where more volatile species have sublimated. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

Hunt For Complex Cyanides In Protostellar Ices With JWST: Tentative Detection Of CH3CN And C2H5CN

by Keith CowingJanuary 18, 2024January 18, 2024

Nitrogen-bearing complex organic molecules have been commonly detected in the gas phase but not yet in interstellar ices. This has led to the long-standing question of whether these molecules form […]

Footprints of the images used in our work on 47 Tucanae. Red and orange colors represent the JWST and HST images, respectively, of field A, whereas the JWST and HST footprints of field B are colored blue and azure, respectively. Magenta and pink colors indicate JWST and HST images of field C. -- astro-ph.SR

Astronomy & Telescopes, Brown Dwarfs, Status Report

A JWST Project On 47 Tucanae. Overview, Photometry And Early Spectroscopic Results Of M dwarfs And Observation Of Brown Dwarfs

by Keith CowingJanuary 16, 2024January 16, 2024

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations have been demonstrated to be efficient in detecting globular clusters’ (GCs) multiple stellar populations in the low-mass regime of M dwarfs.

Complex nebulosity and substructures in the disk, as seen in F2300C. The stretch is adjusted to bring up fainter features observed in the outer regions. Relevant features are annotated including the main and secondary disk planes and cat’s tail. The nebulosity to the west (top) includes both irregular clumps or knots, and also some apparent linear striations or tendrils. To the east (bottom) the clumps are fainter and fewer but still present, including one particular bright clump at bottom center. These clumps are consistently detected in identical positions on the sky seen in the two distinct rolls, confirming they are astrophysical in origin rather than any instrumental artifact. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Beta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

JWST-TST High Contrast: Asymmetries, Dust Populations And Hints Of A Collision In The β Pictoris Disk With NIRCam And MIRI

by Keith CowingJanuary 14, 2024January 14, 2024

We present the first JWST MIRI and NIRCam observations of the prominent debris disk around Beta Pictoris. Coronagraphic observations in 8 filters spanning from 1.8 to 23~μm provide an unprecedentedly […]

The light curves and best fit models resulting from the Eureka! pipeline. The columns show, from left to right: transit 1, transit 2, transit 3. The rows show, from top to bottom: 1) the white light curve and residuals, 2) the spectroscopic light curves, 3) the best-fit models to the spectroscopic light curves, 4) the residuals from the spectroscopic light curve fitting. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

JWST/NIRCam Transmission Spectroscopy Of The Nearby Sub-Earth GJ 341b

by Keith CowingJanuary 12, 2024January 12, 2024

We present a JWST/NIRCam transmission spectrum from 3.9−5.0 μm of the recently-validated sub-Earth GJ 341b (RP=0.92 R⊕, Teq=540 K) orbiting a nearby bright M1 star (d=10.4 pc, Kmag=5.6).

Total atmospheric surface pressure (bar) and volume mixing ratio of NH3, and CO2 output from the atmospheremagma ocean system over the parameter space which we have sampled, outlined in table 1. This corresponds to the output of step 2 in the schematic presented in figure 1. Points are colour-coded by the log of the planetary hydrogen budget, in units part-per-million of the planetary mass. Histograms of the distribution of NH3 mixing ratios (top left), CO2 mixing ratios (top right) and total surface pressures (lower right) from across the model runs are shown alongside. -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Distinguishing Oceans Of Water From Magma On Mini-Neptune K2-18b

by Keith CowingJanuary 12, 2024May 11, 2024

Mildly rradiated mini-Neptunes have densities potentially consistent with them hosting substantial liquid water oceans (`Hycean’ planets).

This image from Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) shows the star system Beta Pictoris. An edge-on disk of dusty debris generated by collisions between planetesimals (orange) dominates the view. A hotter, secondary disk (cyan) is inclined by about 5 degrees relative to the primary disk. The curved feature at upper right, which the science team nicknamed the “cat’s tail,” has never been seen before. A coronagraph (black circle and two small disks) has been used to block the light of the central star, whose location is marked with a white star shape. In this image light at 15.5 microns is colored cyan and 23 microns is orange (filters F1550C and F2300C, respectively). NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Stark and K. Lawson (NASA GSFC), J. Kammerer (ESO), and M. Perrin (STScI). -- NASA

Astronomy & Telescopes, Beta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

Webb Telescope Discovers Dusty ‘Cat’s Tail’ In The Beta Pictoris System

by Keith CowingJanuary 11, 2024January 14, 2024

Beta Pictoris, a young planetary system located just 63 light-years away, continues to intrigue scientists even after decades of in-depth study.

An artistic representation of the “hot Saturn” exoplanet, HAT-P-18 b. CREDIT NASA/Eyes on Exoplanets - NASA

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1

Hot Saturn Exoplanet HAT-P-18 b And Its Parent Star

by Keith CowingJanuary 11, 2024January 10, 2024

Led by researchers from Université de Montréal’s Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), a team of astronomers has harnessed the power of the revolutionary James Webb Space Webb Telescope […]

UVIT and JWST images of the sample of galaxies are shown in the top and bottom panels. The field of JWST observation is marked in the UVIT FUV images. The UVIT footprint with JWST observation and the corresponding JWST color composite image of the sample of galaxies are shown in the bottom panel. The JWST color composite images are generated using F770W, F1130W, and F2100W filters, which are color-coded in blue, green, and red, respectively. Blue ellipses in the UVIT footprints in the lower panel represents the PAH bright regions identified using ProFound. For all the images North is up and East to the left. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Disentangling The Association Of PAH Molecules With Star Formation : Insights From JWST And UVIT

by Keith CowingJanuary 11, 2024January 10, 2024

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous complex molecules in the interstellar medium and are used as an indirect indicator of star-formation.

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Brown Dwarfs, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

Atmospheric Methane Found On Brown Dwarfs W1935 And W2220

by Keith CowingJanuary 11, 2024January 10, 2024

Astronomers used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to study 12 cold brown dwarfs. Two of them – W1935 and W2220 – appeared to be near twins of each other […]

Astrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Brown Dwarfs, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

Presence Of Methane Suggests Brown Dwarf Atmospheric Heating By Auroral Processes

by Keith CowingJanuary 10, 2024January 10, 2024

Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have found a brown dwarf (an object more massive than Jupiter but smaller than a star) that may display possible aurorae, like the […]

JWST

Hunt For Complex Cyanides In Protostellar Ices With JWST: Tentative Detection Of CH3CN And C2H5CN

A JWST Project On 47 Tucanae. Overview, Photometry And Early Spectroscopic Results Of M dwarfs And Observation Of Brown Dwarfs

JWST-TST High Contrast: Asymmetries, Dust Populations And Hints Of A Collision In The β Pictoris Disk With NIRCam And MIRI

JWST/NIRCam Transmission Spectroscopy Of The Nearby Sub-Earth GJ 341b

Distinguishing Oceans Of Water From Magma On Mini-Neptune K2-18b

Webb Telescope Discovers Dusty ‘Cat’s Tail’ In The Beta Pictoris System

Hot Saturn Exoplanet HAT-P-18 b And Its Parent Star

Disentangling The Association Of PAH Molecules With Star Formation : Insights From JWST And UVIT

Atmospheric Methane Found On Brown Dwarfs W1935 And W2220

Presence Of Methane Suggests Brown Dwarf Atmospheric Heating By Auroral Processes

How High-pressure Ices On Large Ocean Worlds Can Support Habitability: The Compatibility Of Amino Acids Into Ice VI And VII

Ice Drives The Emergence Of Functional Protocells

Chemical Abundance Patterns at z=1-7: Carbon, Nitrogen, Neon, Sulphur, and Argon Abundances From JWST Spectroscopy

Optimization of Petal-Shaped Occulters for Exo-Earth Observation

Topographically Forced Stationary Waves Can Explain The Near-Surface Zonal Winds Observed By Huygens On Titan