1. Kailash C. Sahu NIRCam: Status Update 1m Cold, space-facing side
Sunshield
Spacecraft Bus
Warm, Sun-facing side
Primary Mirror
Integrated
Science
Instrument
Module
(ISIM)
Optical Telescope Element (OTE)
Cold, space-facing side 1m
Kailash C. Sahu

2. NIRCam’s Role in JWST’s Science Themes
First Light in the Universe:
NIRCam will execute deep surveys to find and categorize first galaxies.
Assembly of Galaxies:
NIRCam will provide details on shapes and colors of galaxies.
NIRCAM_X000
Inflation
Forming Atomic Nuclei
Recombination
First Galaxies
Reionoization
Clusters &
Morphology
Modern Universe
NIRCam
Quark Soup
Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems:
NIRCam will be ideal to study disks and proto-planetary systems.
young solar system
Kuiper Belt
Planets
Planetary Systems and Origins of Life:
NIRCam and its coronagraph will image and characterize disks and planets, and study extrasolar planets with high S/N observations.

3. What’s NIRCam?
NIRCam is the near-infrared camera (0.6-5 microns) for JWST
Dichroic used to split range into short ( mm) and long (2.4-5m) sections
Nyquist sampling at 2 and 4mm
Coronagraphic capability for both short and long wavelengths
Low-resolution spectroscopic capability in the LW channel.
NIRCam is the wavefront sensor
Must be fully redundant

4. 2 Channels Per Module
Short wavelength channel
Long wavelength channel
Each module has two channels (0.6 to 2.3 m and 2.4 to 5 m)
7 wide band filters (4 SW, 3 LW) for deep surveys
Survey efficiency is increased by observing the same field at long and short wavelength simultaneously
Pixel scale: SW: 0.032”/pix LW: 0.064”/pix
Module A
Module B
2.2’

5. NIRCam Optical Layout*
*there are 2 identical modules
Pupil Imaging Lens Assembly

6. JWST-Spitzer Image Comparison
1’x1’ region in the UDF – 3.5 to 5.8 mm
Spitzer, 25 hour per band
(GOODS collaboration)
JWST, 1000s per band (simulated)
Courtesy: Stefano Casertano

7. Precision Transit Light Curves
Large collecting area
45 × Spitzer, Kepler
350 × CoRoT
Increased SNR (D), faster observations (D2)
Very precise light curves for primary eclipses
Smaller planets
Rings, moons, etc.
Ingress & egress curves for temp map (Rauscher et al)
Thermal mapping (secondary transit light curves).
E. Rauscher et al. (2007)

8. Transits With NIRCAM
Lenses introduce 4,8,12 l of defocus to spread light over many hundreds of pixels
Reduce flat-field errors for bright stars 5<K<10 mag
Ultra-high precision data for bright transits
Diffused images (weak lenses) or spectrally dispersed images (grism) reduce brightness/pixel by >5 mag. K=3-5 mag stars not saturated.

9. PSF with F212N & Weak Lenses
In Focus F210M
Courtesy John Krist
4l Defocus
8l Defocus x10
12l Defocus x10 9

10. SW #1 Flight detector Illuminated Dark
RN and QE better than spec requirements. But minor problems remain…
First-frame effect (RN is larger in the first few ms after reset, which effects first 2 rows).
RN level is unstable, which may require active temperature control.

11. Current Status FPA has been thoroughly tested at UofA.
It has gone to Lockheed Martin for checkout of the focal plane electronics.
FSW script development is in progress at STScI. Script testing will be done in GSFC/LMATC in 2008/2009.
Calibration, DMS, PPS and ETC development in progress.

12. Project is moving along!
NIRCam qualification focal plane.
NIRCam ETU bench.
science operations
Concept Development
mission implementation
launch
NIRCam delivery
mission formulation
authorized

13. Summary
NIRCam will be a versatile instrument capable of detecting “First Light” galaxies
Recent additions to NIRCam such as long wavelength slitless grisms and use of weak lenses make it also capable of definitive exoplanet studies
Both NIRCam and the entire JWST Project are making great progress towards a 2013 launch.