Early Release Science of the exoplanet WASP-39b with JWST NIRCam

Abstract Measuring the metallicity and carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratio in exoplanet atmospheres is a fundamental step towards constraining the dominant chemical processes at work and, if in equilibrium, revealing planet formation histories. Transmission spectroscopy (for example, refs. 1,2 ) provides the necessary means by constraining the abundances of oxygen- and carbon-bearing species; however, this requires broad wavelength coverage, moderate spectral resolution and high precision, which, together, are not achievable with previous observatories. Now that JWST has commenced science operations, we are able to observe exoplanets at previously uncharted wavelengths and spectral resolutions. Here we report…

• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Awards: 5-03127, NAS 5-03127
• ST
  Space Telescope Science Institute

  Awards: 5-03127, NAS 5-03127
• UR
  UK Research and Innovation
• UO
  University of Warwick
• ES
  European Southern Observatory
• SM
  Science Mission Directorate
• SA
  Science and Technology Facilities Council

  Awards: ST/S002642/1, ST/T004479/1, ST/W003163/1, ST/P000495/1, ST/M001962/1, ST/X001121/1, ST/R003726/1, ST/R000395/1, ST/V000861/1, ST/S002642/1, ST/W003163/1, ST/T000406/1, ST/M001962/1