CEERS Epoch 1 NIRCam Imaging: Reduction Methods and Simulations Enabling Early JWST Science Results
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 946, pp. L12
Abstract
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 40
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Micaela B. Bagley corresponding
The University of Texas at Austin
Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; mbagley@utexas.edu
Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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The University of Texas at Austin
Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; mbagley@utexas.edu
Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Space Telescope Science Institute
Affiliation as printed
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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Space Telescope Science Institute
Affiliation as printed
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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Affiliation as printed
NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
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Affiliation as printed
NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
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Rochester Institute of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, 84 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-4242 USA
George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4242 USA
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Affiliation as printed
Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Ctra. de Ajalvir km 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, E-28850, Madrid, Spain
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Space Telescope Science Institute
Affiliation as printed
ESA/AURA Space Telescope Science Institute, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute, 162 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10010, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
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University of Groningen · Space Research Organisation Netherlands
Affiliation as printed
Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Postbus 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
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Astronomical Observatory of Rome · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via di Frascati 33, I-00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
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Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova
Affiliation as printed
INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 5, I-35122, Padova, Italy
INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, I-35122, Padova, Italy
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Space Telescope Science Institute
Affiliation as printed
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Physics, Laboratory of Galaxy Evolution, Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne (EPFL), Observatoire de Sauverny, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
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Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian
Affiliation as printed
Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
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NSF NOIRLab · International Gemini Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Gemini Observatory/NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
Gemini Observatory/NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
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University of Massachusetts Amherst
Affiliation as printed
University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003-9305, USA
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The University of Texas at Austin
Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; mbagley@utexas.edu
Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Astronomical Observatory of Rome · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via di Frascati 33, I-00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
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Space Telescope Science Institute
Affiliation as printed
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics, 196 Auditorium Road, Unit 3046, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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University of Sussex · University of Malta
Affiliation as printed
Astronomy Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK
Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta
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Astronomical Observatory of Rome · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via di Frascati 33, I-00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
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University of California, Irvine
Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, 4129 Reines Hall, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra de Ajalvir km 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, E-28850, Madrid, Spain
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University of California, Riverside
Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Space Telescope Science Institute
Affiliation as printed
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
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The University of Texas at Austin
Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; mbagley@utexas.edu
Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Space Telescope Science Institute
Affiliation as printed
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
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Space Telescope Science Institute
Affiliation as printed
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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Chinese Academy of Sciences · National Astronomical Observatories · University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Affiliation as printed
National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
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