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arXiv · 2207.05632

The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning

Jane Rigby·Marshall Perrin·Michael McElwain·Randy Kimble·Scott Friedman·Matt Lallo·René Doyon·Lee Feinberg·Pierre Ferruit·Alistair Glasse·Marcia Rieke·George Rieke·Gillian Wright·Chris Willott·Knicole Colon·Stefanie Milam·Susan Neff·Christopher Stark·Jeff Valenti·Jim Abell·Faith Abney·Yasin Abul-Huda·D. Scott Acton·Evan Adams·David Adler·Jonathan Aguilar·Nasif Ahmed·Loïc Albert·Stacey Alberts·David Aldridge·Marsha Allen·Martin Altenburg·Javier Alvarez Marquez·Catarina Alves de Oliveira·Greg Andersen·Harry Anderson·Sara Anderson·Ioannis Argyriou·Amber Armstrong·Santiago Arribas·Etienne Artigau·Amanda Arvai·Charles Atkinson·Gregory Bacon·Thomas Bair·Kimberly Banks·Jaclyn Barrientes·Bruce Barringer·Peter Bartosik·William Bast·Pierre Baudoz·Thomas Beatty·Katie Bechtold·Tracy Beck·Eddie Bergeron·Matthew Bergkoetter·Rachana Bhatawdekar·Stephan Birkmann·Ronald Blazek·Claire Blome·Anthony Boccaletti·Torsten Boeker·John Boia·Nina Bonaventura·Nicholas Bond·Kari Bosley·Ray Boucarut·Matthew Bourque·Jeroen Bouwman·Gary Bower·Charles Bowers·Martha Boyer·Larry Bradley·Greg Brady·Hannah Braun·David Breda·Pamela Bresnahan·Stacey Bright·Christopher Britt·Asa Bromenschenkel·Brian Brooks·Keira Brooks·Bob Brown·Matthew Brown·Patricia Brown·Andy Bunker·Matthew Burger·Howard Bushouse·Steven Cale·Alex Cameron·Peter Cameron·Alicia Canipe·James Caplinger·Francis Caputo·Mihai Cara·Larkin Carey·Stefano Carniani·Maria Carrasquilla·Margaret Carruthers·Michael Case
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Abstract

This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.

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Jane Rigby, Marshall Perrin, Michael McElwain, Randy Kimble, Scott Friedman, Matt Lallo, René Doyon, Lee Feinberg, Pierre Ferruit, Alistair Glasse, Marcia Rieke, George Rieke, Gillian Wright, Chris Willott, Knicole Colon, Stefanie Milam, Susan Neff, Christopher Stark, Jeff Valenti, Jim Abell, Faith Abney, Yasin Abul-Huda, D. Scott Acton, Evan Adams, David Adler, Jonathan Aguilar, Nasif Ahmed, Loïc Albert, Stacey Alberts, David Aldridge, Marsha Allen, Martin Altenburg, Javier Alvarez Marquez, Catarina Alves de Oliveira, Greg Andersen, Harry Anderson, Sara Anderson, Ioannis Argyriou, Amber Armstrong, Santiago Arribas, Etienne Artigau, Amanda Arvai, Charles Atkinson, Gregory Bacon, Thomas Bair, Kimberly Banks, Jaclyn Barrientes, Bruce Barringer, Peter Bartosik, William Bast, Pierre Baudoz, Thomas Beatty, Katie Bechtold, Tracy Beck, Eddie Bergeron, Matthew Bergkoetter, Rachana Bhatawdekar, Stephan Birkmann, Ronald Blazek, Claire Blome, Anthony Boccaletti, Torsten Boeker, John Boia, Nina Bonaventura, Nicholas Bond, Kari Bosley, Ray Boucarut, Matthew Bourque, Jeroen Bouwman, Gary Bower, Charles Bowers, Martha Boyer, Larry Bradley, Greg Brady, Hannah Braun, David Breda, Pamela Bresnahan, Stacey Bright, Christopher Britt, Asa Bromenschenkel, Brian Brooks, Keira Brooks, Bob Brown, Matthew Brown, Patricia Brown, Andy Bunker, Matthew Burger, Howard Bushouse, Steven Cale, Alex Cameron, Peter Cameron, Alicia Canipe, James Caplinger, Francis Caputo, Mihai Cara, Larkin Carey, Stefano Carniani, Maria Carrasquilla, Margaret Carruthers, Michael Case. 2022-07-12. The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning. https://doi.org/10.1088/1538-3873%2Facb293

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