The Mid-Infrared Instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope, X. Operations and Data Reduction

TL;DR

This paper details the operational framework and data reduction procedures for MIRI on JWST, including observation modes, user options, and multi-stage data processing to produce scientific data products.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive operational concept and data reduction plan for MIRI, tailored to its four observation modes, enhancing user accessibility and data quality.

Findings

Defined four observation templates for MIRI modes

Outlined a three-stage data reduction process

Provided examples of resulting data products

Abstract

We describe the operations concept and data reduction plan for the Mid- Infrared Instrument (MIRI) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The overall JWST operations concept is to use Observation Templates (OTs) to provide a straightforward and intuitive way for users to specify observations. MIRI has four OTs that correspond to the four observing modes: 1.) Imaging, 2.) Coronagraphy, 3.) Low Resolution Spectroscopy, and 4.) Medium Resolution Spectroscopy. We outline the user choices and expansion of these choices into detailed instrument operations. The data reduction plans for MIRI are split into three stages, where the specificity of the reduction steps to the observation type increases with stage. The reduction starts with integration ramps: stage 1 yields uncalibrated slope images; stage 2 calibrates the slope images; and then stage 3 combines multiple calibrated slope images into high level data products (e.g. mosaics, spectral cubes, and extracted source information). Finally, we give examples of the data and data products that will be derived from each of the four different OTs.