JWST Telescope Scientist Team

This artist’s concept portrays the seven rocky exoplanets within the TRAPPIST-1 system, located 40 light-years from Earth. The Telescope Scientist Team will collaborate with other JWST teams to observe these worlds with Webb in an effort to detect the first atmosphere of an Earth-sized planet beyond our solar system. (Credit: NASA and JPL/Caltech)

The JWST Telescope Scientist Team, led by AURA President Matt Mountain, has provided scientific support of the Webb Observatory development since 2002. The team has access to 210 hours of Guaranteed Time Observer time, which will be used to address three key subject areas through different observational techniques:

Characterization of the exoplanet atmospheres of a hot Jupiter, a warm Neptune, and a super Earth, through transit and eclipse spectroscopy
Characterization of exoplanet systems, debris disks, and brown dwarfs, through coronagraphic imaging
Characterization of the stellar proper motion kinematics of Local Group dwarf galaxies and the Galactic Center through astrometric imaging

The joint goal of these studies is to scientifically demonstrate the telescope performance after JWST launch. The results will provide new insights into exoplanet atmospheres, systems, and formation, as well as into galaxy formation, the characteristics of dark matter, and the black hole in the Galactic Center.

Website: JWST Telescope Scientist Team

Leads: Roeland van der Marel, Marshall Perrin, Jeff Valenti

Research Topics:

Exoplanet Characterization
Transiting Exoplanets
Exoplanet Atmospheres
High Contrast Imaging
Coronagraphs
Brown Dwarfs
Circumstellar Disks
Proper Motions
Local Group Galaxies
Galactic Center
Galactic Dynamics

Seminars/Journal Club: ESPF series

Related Missions & Instruments: JWST

Related Lab: Makidon Lab

Selected Publications: JWST Telescope Scientists Team Papers