The Mid-Infrared instrument (MIRI) on board the James Webb Space Telescope will perform the first ever characterization of young giant exoplanets observed by direct imaging in the 5-28 m spectral ...range. This wavelength range is key for both determining the bolometric luminosity of the cool known exoplanets and for accessing the strongest ammonia bands. In conjunction with shorter wavelength observations, MIRI will enable a more accurate characterization of the exoplanetary atmospheric properties. Here we consider a subsample of the currently known exoplanets detected by direct imaging, and we discuss their detectability with MIRI, either using the coronagraphic or the spectroscopic modes. By using the Exo-REM atmosphere model, we calculate the mid-infrared emission spectra of 14 exoplanets, and we simulate MIRI coronagraphic or spectroscopic observations. Specifically, we analyze four coronagraphic observational setups, which depend on (i) the target-star and reference-star offset (0, 3, 14 mas), (ii) the wavefront-error (130, 204 nm root mean square), and (iii) the telescope jitter amplitude (1.6, 7 mas). We then determine the signal-to-noise and integration time values for the coronagraphic targets whose planet-to-star contrasts range from 3.9 to 10.1 mag. We conclude that all the MIRI targets should be observable with different degrees of difficulty, which depends on the final in-flight instrument performances. Furthermore, we test for detection of ammonia in the atmosphere of the coolest targets. Finally, we present the case of HR 8799 b to discuss what MIRI observations can bring to the knowledge of a planetary atmosphere, either alone or in combination with shorter wavelength observations.
Context . The MIRI instrument on board JWST is now offering high-contrast imaging capacity at mid-IR wavelengths, thereby opening a completely new field of investigation for characterizing young ...exoplanetary systems. Aims . The multiplanet system HR 8799 is the first target observed with MIRI’s coronagraph as part of the MIRI-EC Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO) exoplanet program, launched in November 2022. We obtained deep observations in three coronagraphic filters, from ∼10 to 15 µm (F1065C, F1140C, F1550C), and one standard imaging filter at ∼20 µm ( F 2100 W ). The goal of this work is to extract photometry for the four planets and to detect and investigate the distribution of circumstellar dust. Methods . Using dedicated observations of a reference star, we tested several algorithms to subtract the stellar diffraction pattern, while preserving the fluxes of planets, which can be significantly affected by over-subtraction. To obtain correct measurements of the planet’s flux values, the attenuation by the coronagraphs as a function of their position must be accounted for, as well as an estimation of the normalisation with respect to the central star. We tested several procedures to derive averaged photometric values and error bars. Results . These observations have enabled us to obtain two main results. First, the four planets in the system are well recovered and we were able to compare their mid-IR fluxes, combined with near-IR flux values from the literature, to two exoplanet atmosphere models: ATMO and Exo-REM . As a main outcome, the MIRI photometric data points imply larger radii (1.04 or 1.17 R J for planet b) and cooler temperatures (950 or 1000 K for planet b), especially for planet b, in better agreement with evolutionary models. Second, these JWST/MIRI coronagraphic data also deliver the first spatially resolved detection of the inner warm debris disk, the radius of which is constrained to about 15 au, with flux densities that are comparable to (but lower than) former unresolved spectroscopic measurements with Spitzer. Conclusions . The coronagraphs coming from MIRI ushers in a new vision of known exoplanetary systems that differs significantly from shorter wavelength, high-contrast images delivered by extreme adaptive optics from the ground. Inner dust belts and background galaxies become dominant at some mid-IR wavelengths, potentially causing confusion in detecting exoplanets. Future observing strategies and data reductions ought to take such features into account.
The paper deals with the construction of images from visibilities acquired using aperture synthesis instruments: Fourier synthesis, deconvolution, and spectral interpolation/extrapolation. Its ...intended application is to specific situations in which the imaged object possesses two superimposed components: (i) an extended component together with (ii) a set of point sources. It is also specifically designed to the case of positive maps, and accounts for a known support. Its originality lies within joint estimation of the two components, coherently with data, properties of each component, positivity and possible support. We approach the subject as an inverse problem within a regularization framework: a regularized least-squares criterion is specifically proposed and the estimated maps are defined as its minimizer. We have investigated several options for the numerical minimization and we propose a new efficient algorithm based on augmented Lagrangian. Evaluation is carried out using simulated and real data (from radio interferometry) demonstrating the capability to accurately separate the two components.
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