NIRCam for the James Webb Space Telescope

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NIRCam Reviewers (access limited)

NIRCam is the 0.6 to 5 micron imager for NASA's successor to Hubble and Spitzer, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). NIRCam passed its Critical Design Review in May, 2006, and now is in its construction phase. The diagram below shows the NIRCam optical train.

JWST will detect the first light emitting galaxies and star clusters to form in the Universe after the Big Bang. The NIRCam design is optimized for finding these "First Light" sources. The camera also includes features that will make it a wonderful tool for studying star formation in the Milky Way Galaxy and for discovering and characterizing planets around other stars.

The Space Telescope Science Institute will operate JWST and handle astronomer's observing proposals.

JWST multimedia resources. JWST/NIRCam powerpoint for astronomers, for general public.

Talk presented at June, 2008, AAS meeting ( ppt, pdf ).

SPIE Paper on NIRCam Long Wavelength Grisms (presented Aug, 2007)

SPIE Paper on NIRCam Coronagraphy (presented Aug, 2007)

SPIE Papers on NIRCam (presented August, 2005).

NIRCam Coronagraphy paper (presented August 2005).

Posters about NIRCam: (downloadable as powerpoint or pdf files)

From January 2006 American Astronomical Society Meeting ppt pdf

General JWST poster from June, 2006 ppt

From July 2006 Disks06 Conference ppt

From July 2006 KBO Conference ppt

Approximately life size drawing of NIRCam ppt pdf

NIRCam Team Science

Our team's scientific interests are centered in in JWST's Science Themes: