October 24-28, 2016

Abstract

JWST/NIRSpec: capabilities for exoplanet characterisation

Stephan Birkmann (European Space Agency)

Pierre Ferruit, Louise Nielsen, Catarina Alves de Oliveira, Torsten Böker, Nora Lützgendorf, Tim Rawle, Marco Sirianni -- all ESA

The Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) is one of the science instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope that is on schedule for launch in October 2018. NIRSpec has a dedicated mode and aperture for taking time series data of bright sources that can be used to perform transit and eclipse spectroscopy of exoplanets. The instrument has a prism and six gratings, provides a wide wavelength coverage from 0.6 to 5.3 micron, and spectral resolutions of up to ~3000. We present the instrument’s characteristics and features relevant for exoplanet transit, eclipse and phase curve observations, and provide an update on expected source brightness limits and instrument performances, as well as examples for spectra of exoplanet atmospheres as they will be seen by NIRSpec.

Talk