Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011iaus..280p.224l&link_type=abstract
The Molecular Universe, Posters from the proceedings of the 280th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union held in Tole
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI, Wright et al. 2003) on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be the next major mid-infrared facility in space. It combines a high sensitivity with medium resolution spectroscopy and subarcsec imaging. This makes it one of the prime facilities for astrochemical studies in the next decade. Mid-infrared spectroscopy is a very powerful astrochemical tool. Molecules without permanent dipoles such as CH_4, C_2H_2 and CO_2 can only be observed through their vibration-rotation transitions while atmospheric species, in particular H_2O, require space-based facilities. PAH and solid-state material have prominent features in the mid-infrared, and the pure rotational transitions of the dominant molecule in the universe, H_2, also occur in this band. The wealth of mid-infrared spectroscopy has been demonstrated by results from the ISO satellite (see van Dishoeck 2004 for a review), pioneering ground-based studies and most recently by the Spitzer Space Telescope. The targeted sources are extremely diverse and include objects in the local and distant universe. Variations in features allow both qualitative and quantitative studies of physical and chemical processes. MIRI consists of an imager (including low resolution (R=λ/Δλ≈100) spectroscopy and coronography) and a medium resolution spectrometer (R=2000-3000) operating in the 5-28μm wavelength range using 1024x1024 pixel Si:As arrays. The spectrometer uses four IFUs with fields ranging from 3.5 to 7 arcsec. MIRIs sensitivity, orders of magnitude higher compared to Spitzer and 8-m class ground-based telescopes, spatial and spectral resolution make it particularly well suited for studying gases and solids in disks around young stars and in the nuclei of (starburst) galaxies. The sensitive low resolution spectrometer will be ideal to characterize exoplanet atmospheres. MIRI is built in partnership by a European Consortium and the US. The MIRI flight model (FM) is now fully integrated and ready for testing before delivery to NASA later in 2011. At the time of the conference the MIRI FM test campaign will be in full swing and the first test results will have come out.
Lahuis Fred
Rieke George
van Dishoeck Ewine F.
Wright Grady
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