The Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) will be the primary JWST imager in the wavelength range of 0.6 to 5 microns. The NIRCam is required by many of the core science goals of JWST, including the detection of the early phases of star and galaxy formation, such as the first precursors to today's globular clusters; morphology and colors of galaxies at very high redshift in rest-frame optical wavelengths; detection of and light curves of distant supernovae; mapping dark matter via gravitational lensing; and the study of stellar populations in nearby galaxies. NIRCam is also the instrument used for wavefront sensing to enable control of the primary mirror.
The Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) is being built by a team at University of Arizona (UoA) and Lockheed Martin's Advanced Technology Center and led by Prof. Marcia Rieke at UoA. Its high sensitivity, wavelength multiplexing, and wide field of view enable deep imaging surveys