Investigating Silicate, Carbon, and Water in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium: The First Shots from WISCI
The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 987, pp. 25
Abstract
Abstract The dusty interstellar medium (ISM) of the Milky Way is distributed in a complex, cloudy structure. It is fundamental to the radiation balance within the Milky Way, provides a reaction surface to form complex molecules, and is the feedstock for future generations of stars and planets. The life cycle of interstellar dust is not completely understood, and neither are its structure nor composition. The abundance, composition, and structure of dust in the diffuse ISM can be determined by combining infrared, optical, and ultraviolet spectroscopy. JWST enables measurement of the faint absorption of ISM dust grains against bright stars at kiloparsec distances across the infrared spectrum. Here we present an overview of the project “Webb Investigation of Silicates, Carbons, and Ices” (WISCI) along with interpretation of two targets, GSC 08152-02121 and CPD-59 5831. Observations of 12 WISCI target stars were taken by JWST, the Hubble Space Telescope, Himalayan Chandra Telescope, and the Very Large Telescope. We use these to characterize the targets’ spectral types and calculate their line-of-sight extinction parameters, A V and R V . We find absorption in the JWST spectra of GSC 08152-02121 and CPD-59 5831 associated with carbonaceous dust around 3.4 and 6.2 μ m and amorphous silicates at 9.7 μ m. In GSC 08152-02121, we also find indications of absorption by trapped water around 3 μ m. This first look from WISCI demonstrates the line-of-sight variability within the sample, and the program’s potential to identify and correlate features across ultraviolet to mid-infrared wavelengths.
Authors 34
-
Sascha Tamara Zeegers corresponding
European Space Agency · European Space Research and Technology Centre
Affiliation as printed
European Space Agency (ESA), European Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
-
Jonathan P. Marshall corresponding
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica · Academia Sinica
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, 11F of AS/NTU Astronomy-Mathematics Building, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106319, Taiwan
-
Karl D. Gordon corresponding
Space Telescope Science Institute · Ghent University
Affiliation as printed
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S9, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
-
K. A. Misselt corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
-
Gilles P. P. L. Otten corresponding
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica · Academia Sinica
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, 11F of AS/NTU Astronomy-Mathematics Building, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106319, Taiwan
-
Jeroen Bouwman corresponding
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
-
Jean E. Chiar corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Physical Science Department, Diablo Valley College, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, USA
-
Marjorie Decleir corresponding
Space Telescope Science Institute · European Space Agency
Affiliation as printed
European Space Agency (ESA), ESA Office, Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
-
T. E. Dharmawardena corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute, 162 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA
-
Francisca Kemper corresponding
Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats · Institute of Space Sciences · Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya
Affiliation as printed
Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg. Lluís Companys 23, E-08010 Barcelona, Spain
Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), E-08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
Institut de Ciències de l'Espai (ICE, CSIC), Can Magrans, s/n, E-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
-
Aigen Li corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Astronomy, 223 Physics Building, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
-
Mayank Narang corresponding
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica · Academia Sinica
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, 11F of AS/NTU Astronomy-Mathematics Building, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106319, Taiwan
-
А. В. Потапов corresponding
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Affiliation as printed
Analytical Mineralogy Group, Institute of Geosciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, CEEC II, Lessingstr. 14, 07743 Jena, Germany
-
P. Manoj corresponding
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Affiliation as printed
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
-
Peter Scicluna corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Centre for Astrophysics Research, Department of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics, College Lane Campus, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
-
Himanshu Tyagi corresponding
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Affiliation as printed
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
-
Eleonora Zari corresponding
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy · University of Florence
Affiliation as printed
Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via G. Sansone 1, I-50019, Sesto F.no (Firenze), Italy
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
-
Lex Kaper corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
-
F. Backs corresponding
University of Amsterdam · KU Leuven
Affiliation as printed
Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Institute of Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
-
Stefan Thomas Bromley corresponding
Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats · Universitat de Barcelona
Affiliation as printed
Departament de Ciència de Materials i Química Física & Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional (IQTCUB), Universitat de Barcelona, c/Martí i Franquès 1-11, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg. Lluís Companys 23, E-08010 Barcelona, Spain
-
Space Research Organisation Netherlands
Affiliation as printed
SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Niels Bohrweg 4, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
-
T. R. Geballe corresponding
NSF NOIRLab · International Gemini Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Gemini Observatory/NSF's NOIRLab, 670 N. A'ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
-
Joel D. Green corresponding
Space Telescope Science Institute
Affiliation as printed
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
-
Chamani M. Gunasekera corresponding
Space Telescope Science Institute
Affiliation as printed
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
-
Burcu Günay corresponding
Armagh Observatory & Planetarium
Affiliation as printed
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, Armagh, NI, UK
-
Thomas K. Henning corresponding
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
-
Olivia Jones corresponding
Royal Observatory · UK Astronomy Technology Centre
Affiliation as printed
UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ, UK
-
Joan Mariñoso Guiu corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Departament de Ciència de Materials i Química Física & Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional (IQTCUB), Universitat de Barcelona, c/Martí i Franquès 1-11, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
-
Leiden University · Leiden Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
-
Y. J. Pendleton corresponding
Affiliation as printed
University of Central Florida, Dept. of Physics, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
-
Julia Christine Roman-Duval corresponding
Space Telescope Science Institute
Affiliation as printed
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
-
T. Shenar corresponding
Affiliation as printed
The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
-
Leiden University · Leiden Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
-
Radboud University Nijmegen · Space Research Organisation Netherlands
Affiliation as printed
Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Niels Bohrweg 4, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
Cited by 4 stored of 4
4 results
No patents citing this paper on Lens.org (checked 2026-10-11).