Webb Science
The James Webb Space Telescope will be a giant
leap forward in our quest to understand the Universe and our
origins. The Webb will examine every phase of cosmic history: from
the first luminous glows after the Big Bang to the formation of
galaxies,
stars, and planets to the evolution of our own solar system. The
science goals for the Webb can be grouped into four themes:
|
The End of the Dark
Ages: First Light and Reionization seeks to identify the
first bright objects that formed in the early Universe, and follow the
ionization history.
|
|
Assembly of Galaxies
will determine how galaxies and dark matter, including gas,
stars, metals, physical structures (like spiral arms) and active nuclei
evolved to the present day.
|
|
The
Birth of Stars and
Protoplanetary Systems focuses on the birth and early
development of stars and the formation of planets.
|
|
Planetary Systems and the
Origins of Life studies the physical and chemical
properties
of solar systems (including our own) and where the building blocks of
life
may be present.
|
The observations needed to accomplish these goals
require a telescope that can study the Universe in infrared light.
For this, it needs to be cooled till it is just a few tens of degrees
above Absolute Zero. To accomplish this goal, the Webb will reside
far from the Earth at the L2 region. Why does Webb need to be at
L2?
We now have a series of videos
that highlight the science that will be peformed by the James Webb
Space Telescope.
A detailed description of the science capabilities and
instruments on Webb can be found in the Space
Science
Reviews paper by Gardner et. al.
Arip Nurahman
Guru dan Dosen Profesional, amin cita-citaku
