JWST Cycle 1 GTO program
Take a trip back through time with the James Webb Space Telescope. By using massive galaxy clusters as cosmic gravitational lenses, CANUCS will study the evolution of low mass galaxies from 13.5 billion years ago through to the relatively recent 5 billion years ago. Using all three of JWST's near-infrared instruments, the CANUCS dataset will provide high-quality imaging and spectroscopy for thousands of galaxies to determine their distances, luminosities, star formation histories, metallicities, dust properties, sizes and morphologies. NIRISS slitless spectroscopy will dissect large or strongly-lensed galaxies to determine the spatial distribution of these properties allowing their internal evolution to be determined.
CANUCS will use all three of JWST's near-infrared instruments. The NIRISS low-resolution grisms will provide spectra of thousands of galaxies per field. NIRCam imaging will sample the galaxies structures and SEDs from 0.8 to 5 microns. NIRSpec follow-up low resolution spectroscopy will target galaxies discovered by NIRCam and NIRISS as well as those for which NIRISS does not provide a redshift.
With the power of gravitational lensing we will find and study low-mass galaxies across all epochs. We will search for the earliest galaxies, in rest-frame UV continuum and Lyman alpha line emission.
With low-resolution grism spectroscopy we can isolate nebular line emission and make emission line ratio maps, in order to understand physical properties like SFR, dust, metallicity and ionization.
We will study how galaxies are transformed as they fall into dense galaxy clusters.
The CAnadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS) is a component of the NIRISS Guaranteed Time Observations survey that will devote 200 hours to study galaxies lensed by five massive foreground galaxy clusters. More information to come; targets and observation strategy available at JWST-GTO 1208.
Future dreams in view as Canadian instruments power up aboard James Webb Space Telescope
Webb telescope arrives safely. Now, Canadian astronomers are ready to unravel the mysteries of the universe
Powerful Webb space telescope featuring Canadian instruments set for launch
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