CEERS Epoch 1 NIRCam Imaging: Reduction Methods and Simulations Enabling Early JWST Science Results
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: We present the data release and data reduction process for the Epoch 1 NIRCam observations for the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey (CEERS). These data consist of NIRCam imaging in six broadband filters (F115W, F150W, F200W, F277W, F356W and F444W) and one medium-band filter (F410M) over four pointings, obtained in parallel with primary CEERS MIRI observations. We reduced the NIRCam imaging with the JWST Calibration Pipeline, with custom modifications and reduction steps designed to address additional features and challenges with the data. Here we provide a detailed description of each step in our reduction and a discussion of future expected improvements. Our reduction process includes corrections for known prelaunch issues such as 1/ f noise, as well as in-flight issues including snowballs, wisps, and astrometric alignment. Many of our custom reduction processes were first developed with prelaunch simulated NIRCam imaging over the full 10 CEERS NIRCam pointings. We present a description of the creation and reduction of this simulated data set in the Appendix. We provide mosaics of the real images in a public release, as well as our reduction scripts with detailed explanations to allow users to reproduce our final data products. These represent one of the first official public data sets released from the Directors Discretionary Early Release Science (DD-ERS) program.
Authors: Micaela B. Bagley, Steven L. Finkelstein, Anton M. Koekemoer, Henry C. Ferguson, Pablo Arrabal Haro, Mark Dickinson, Jeyhan S. Kartaltepe, Casey Papovich, Pablo G. Pérez-González, Nor Pirzkal, Rachel S. Somerville, Christopher N. A. Willmer, Guang Yang, L. Y. Aaron Yung, Adriano Fontana, Andrea Grazian, Norman A. Grogin, Michaela Hirschmann, Lisa J. Kewley, Allison Kirkpatrick, Dale D. Kocevski, Jennifer M. Lotz, Aubrey Medrano, Alexa M. Morales, Laura Pentericci, Swara Ravindranath, Jonathan R. Trump, Stephen M. Wilkins, Antonello Calabrò, M. C. Cooper, Luca Costantin, Alexander de la Vega, Bryan Hilbert, Taylor A. Hutchison, Rebecca L. Larson, Ray A. Lucas, Elizabeth J. McGrath, Russell Ryan, Xin Wang, Stijn Wuyts
Institutions: The University of Texas at Austin, Space Telescope Science Institute, NSF NOIRLab, Rochester Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University, Centro de Astrobiología, Flatiron Institute, University of Arizona, University of Groningen, Space Research Organisation Netherlands, Goddard Space Flight Center, Astronomical Observatory of Rome, National Institute for Astrophysics, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, University of Kansas, Colby College, International Gemini Observatory, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Connecticut, University of Sussex, University of Malta, University of California, Irvine, University of California, Riverside, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Astronomical Observatories, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Bath
Language: English
Subfield: Instrumentation
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,400
OpenAlex ID: W4361003486