The NIRSpec MSA Planning Tool for multi-object spectroscopy with JWST

Diane Karakla; Alexander Shyrokov; Klaus Pontoppidan; Tracy Beck; Karoline Gilbert; Jeff Valenti; Susan Kassin; David Soderblom

doi:10.1117/12.2056387

6 August 2014 The NIRSpec MSA Planning Tool for multi-object spectroscopy with JWST

Diane Karakla, Alexander Shyrokov, Klaus Pontoppidan, Tracy Beck, Karoline Gilbert, Jeff Valenti, Susan Kassin, David Soderblom

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9149, Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems V; 91491Z (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2056387
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2014, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Abstract

The James Webb Space Telescope Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument will offer a powerful multi-object spectroscopic capability enabled by the micro-shutter arrays (MSAs). The MSAs are fixed grids of configurable shutters that can be opened and closed on astronomical scenes. With this mode, the NIRSpec instrument can observe more than 100 targets simultaneously. The NIRSpec team and software developers at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) have been implementing specialized algorithms in an MSA Planning Tool (MPT) to facilitate the complex observation planning process. Two main algorithms, the “Fixed Dithers” and “Flexible Dithers” algorithms, have been defined to achieve optimal multiplexing results with different observing strategies. The MPT is available to the astronomical community as part of the ASTRONOMER’S PROPOSAL TOOL (APT), an integrated software package for the preparation of observing proposals developed by STScI.

Citation Download Citation

Diane Karakla, Alexander Shyrokov, Klaus Pontoppidan, Tracy Beck, Karoline Gilbert, Jeff Valenti, Susan Kassin, and David Soderblom "The NIRSpec MSA Planning Tool for multi-object spectroscopy with JWST", Proc. SPIE 9149, Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems V, 91491Z (6 August 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2056387

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