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Updated point spread function simulations for JWST with WebbPSF

Authors :
Swara Ravindranath
Charles-Philippe Lajoie
Marshall D. Perrin
Loic Albert
Laurent Pueyo
Anand Sivaramakrishnan
Erin Elliott
Source :
SPIE Proceedings.
Publication Year :
2014
Publisher :
SPIE, 2014.

Abstract

Accurate models of optical performance are an essential tool for astronomers, both for planning scientific observations ahead of time, and for a wide range of data analysis tasks such as point-spread-function (PSF)-fitting photometry and astrometry, deconvolution, and PSF subtraction. For the James Webb Space Telescope, the WebbPSF program provides a PSF simulation tool in a flexible and easy-to-use software package available to the community and implemented in Python. The latest version of WebbPSF adds new support for spectroscopic modes of JWST NIRISS, MIRI, and NIRSpec, including modeling of slit losses and diffractive line spread functions. It also provides additional options for modeling instrument defocus and/or pupil misalignments. The software infrastructure of WebbPSF has received enhancements including improved parallelization, an updated graphical interface, a better configuration system, and improved documentation. We also present several comparisons of WebbPSF simulated PSFs to observed PSFs obtained using JWST's flight science instruments during recent cryovac tests. Excellent agreement to first order is achieved for all imaging modes cross-checked thus far, including tests for NIRCam, FGS, NIRISS, and MIRI. These tests demonstrate that WebbPSF model PSFs have good fidelity to the key properties of JWST's as-built science instruments.

Details

ISSN :
0277786X
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
SPIE Proceedings
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........1a61bb8ee2831dcda8cb2c0bcc8bb244