Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Villanueva, Gerónimo L.
• Altieri, Francesca
• Clancy, R. Todd
• Encrenaz, Therese
• Fouchet, Thierry
• Hartogh, Paul
• Lellouch, Emmanuel
• Lopéz-Valverde, Miguel A.
• Mumma, Michael J.
• Novak, Robert E.
• Smith, Michael D.
• Vandaele, Ann-Carine
• Wolff, Michael J.
• Ferruit, Pierre
• Milam, Stefanie N.

Titel

Unique Spectroscopy and Imaging of Mars with the James Webb Space Telescope

Ist Teil von

• Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2016-01, Vol.128 (959), p.1-16

Ort / Verlag

Goddard Space Flight Center: The Astronomical Society of the Pacific

Erscheinungsjahr

2016

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• In this paper, we summarize the main capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) for performing observations of Mars. The distinctive vantage point of JWST at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L2) will allow sampling the full observable disk, permitting the study of short-term phenomena, diurnal processes (across the east-west axis), and latitudinal processes between the hemispheres (including seasonal effects) with excellent spatial resolutions (0 07 at 2 m). Spectroscopic observations will be achievable in the 0.7-5 m spectral region with NIRSpec at a maximum resolving power of 2700 and with 8000 in the 1-1.25 m range. Imaging will be attainable with the Near-Infrared Camera at 4.3 m and with two narrow filters near 2 m, while the nightside will be accessible with several filters in 0.5 to 2 m. Such a powerful suite of instruments will be a major asset for the exploration and characterization of Mars. Some science cases include the mapping of the water D/H ratio, investigations of the Martian mesosphere via the characterization of the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium CO2 emission at 4.3 m, studies of chemical transport via observations of the O2 nightglow at 1.27 m, high-cadence mapping of the variability dust and water-ice clouds, and sensitive searches for trace species and hydrated features on the Martian surface. In-flight characterization of the instruments may allow for additional science opportunities.