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MIRI/JWST

The James Webb Telescope, an international partnership between NASA, ESA and CSA, was launched in December 2021. ETH Zurich contributed to the mission through its collaboration with the international Mid-Infrared Instrument Consortium.  

Artist conception of the James Webb Space Telescope (Image: NASA)
Artist conception of the James Webb Space Telescope (Image: NASA)

The James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space telescope (JWST), also known as "Webb", will be the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. Webb follows Hubble as the next great space science observatory designed to make breakthrough discoveries in all fields of astronomy. It will push the frontiers of knowledge of our Solar System, reveal the Universe's first galaxies and the birth of stars and planets, and look for exoplanets with the potential for life.

Webb is an international collaboration between the external page US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the external page Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the external page European Space Agency (ESA). In addition to the launch services, ESA further contributes to two (external page NIRSpec and 50% of external page MIRI) of Webb's four science instruments, along with personnel to support mission operations.

The mission was launched on an Ariane 5 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on 21st December 2021. Webb arrived on the 13th of October 2021 at the Spaceport by boat to the Spaceport and prepares now for its launch. Webb is folded up origami-style to fit inside the launcher, which has been customised for the large, infrared telescope. After launch it will embark on a month-long journey to its final orbit about one and a half million kilometres from Earth, at the Lagrange point 2. Along the way it will unfold like a "Transformer" in space, unfurling its sunshield and deploying its 6.5-metre primary mirror that will detect the faint light of distant stars and galaxies.

Swiss research contribution - MIRI

The Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics (IPA) at the ETH Zürich Department of Physics is part of the James Webb Space telescope external page Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) consortium. MIRI is jointly developed by the USA and a nationally funded European Consortium (EC) under the auspices of the European Space Agency. The EC is responsible for the optics, optical bench, and assembly, integration, and test of the MIRI instrument.

The Mid Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is one of the four science instruments on JWST and the only one which covers the poorly explored wavelength ranges from 5 μm to 28 μm. Therefore, MIRI will be cooled at 7 K and is the coldest part in the JWST. This wavelength range combined with the border breaking sensitivity of JWST will initiate a new age of astrophysical research.

webbs_science
Positioned behind the primary mirror, Webb's four science instruments will receive the light collected by the telescope and use a variety of tools—cameras, spectrographs, and coronagraphs—designed to maximize the scientific knowledge gleaned from every observation. (Image: NASA, STScI)

Initially, the Swiss contribution was led by Dr. Alexander Zehnder at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). In 2008, the project was transferred to ETH Zurich. Since 2007, Dr. Adrian Glauser serves at Swiss National Project Lead for participation in the MIRI Instrument Consortium for the JWST and oversees the contributions of the Swiss industry partners, external page RUAG Aerospace and external page SYDERAL SA. He is supported in his work by Polychronis Patapis. Prof. Manuel Guedel (University of Vienna and Associate Professor at ETH Zurich) serves as the Swiss co-Principle Investigator, Prof. Simon Lilly and Dr. Adrian Glauser as Swiss co-Investigators for the MIRI Consortium, respectively.

JWST_Auswertung
Detection of molecules in exoplanet atmospheres of the multi-planet system HR8799 using JWST/MIRI-MRS simulations (Image: Polychronis Patapis)

Swiss industry contribution

  • Contamination Control Cover. The cover, developed by external page RUAG Aerospace, will protect MIRI against external contamination during the cooldown phase of the tests and after the launch. Additionally, this cryo-­mechanism acts as an optical shutter for the instrument to allow on-­board calibration and to protect the detectors against bright objects.
  • Cryo-Cables. These cables, developed by external page SYDERAL SA consist of 250 electrical wires which connect the cryogenic mechanisms, calibration sources and temperature sensors of the cold optical bench with the warm electronics.
  • MIRI_Cryostat_Facility
    Cryotest facility at PSI equipped with the SYDERAL cables ready for cryogenic performance testing (Image: MIRI)
  • MIRI_Contamination_Control
    Contamination Control Cover on its mechanical support bracket manufactured by RUAG Aerospace (Image: MIRI)

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