[Paper Review] Overview of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES)

Daniel J. Eisenstein, Chris J. Willott+76 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jun 4, 2023

Astronomy and Astrophysical Research104 citations

TL;DR

The paper presents the design, motivations, and observing strategy of JADES, a large JWST program combining deep NIRCam imaging and NIRSpec spectroscopy in GOODS-S and GOODS-N to study galaxy evolution from the early universe to cosmic noon.

ABSTRACT

We present an overview of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), an ambitious program of infrared imaging and spectroscopy in the GOODS-S and GOODS-N deep fields, designed to study galaxy evolution from high redshift to cosmic noon. JADES uses about 770 hours of Cycle 1 guaranteed time largely from the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument teams. In GOODS-S, in and around the Hubble Ultra Deep Field and Chandra Deep Field South, JADES produces a deep imaging region of ~42 arcmin^2 with over 100 hrs of exposure time spread over 9 NIRCam filters, including two medium-band filters. This is extended at medium depth in GOODS-S and GOODS-N with NIRCam imaging of ~167 arcmin^2, averaging 25 hrs of exposure over 8-10 filters. In both fields, we conduct extensive NIRSpec multi-object spectroscopy, including 2 deep pointings of 55 hrs exposure time, 14 medium pointings of ~12 hrs, and 15 shallower pointings of ~4 hrs, targeting over 5000 HST and JWST-detected faint sources with 5 low, medium, and high-resolution dispersers covering 0.6-5.3 um. Finally, JADES extends redward via coordinated parallels with the JWST Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), featuring ~10 arcmin^2 with 43 hours of exposure at 7.7 um and thrice that area with 1.4-6.8 hours of exposure at 12.8 um and 15 um. For nearly 30 years, the GOODS-S and GOODS-N fields have been developed as the premier deep fields on the sky; JADES is now providing a compelling start on the JWST legacy in these fields.

Motivation & Objective

• Motivate studying galaxy evolution from the earliest epochs to cosmic noon using JWST’s infrared capabilities.
• Describe the survey design to maximize imaging and spectroscopy in GOODS-S and GOODS-N.
• Explain how imaging-spectroscopy synergy improves redshift, SED, and physical-property measurements.
• Establish a legacy data set with deep NIRCam imaging, deep NIRSpec spectroscopy, and coordinated MIRI parallels.

Proposed method

• Utilize ~770 hours of Cycle 1 Guaranteed Time allocated largely to NIRCam and NIRSpec, with supplementary MIRI contribution.
• Imaging in GOODS-S/N covering deep regions (~45 arcmin2) with ~130 hours over 9 NIRCam filters, plus medium-depth imaging over ~175 arcmin2 (8–10 filters).
• Conduct extensive NIRSpec MOS spectroscopy including 55 hr deep pointings, ~12 hr medium pointings, and ~4 hr shallow pointings to target >5000 sources across 0.6–5.3 μm.
• Coordinate parallel observations with JWST/MIRI to extend coverage to ~9 arcmin2 at 7.7 μm and additional area at 12.8 μm.
• Leverage instrument-team expertise to maximize imaging and spectroscopy performance and produce a robust JADES data legacy.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can JWST imaging and spectroscopy be combined to best constrain the formation and evolution of galaxies from z>10 to z~2–3?
• RQ2 What do the depths and area of JADES imply for measurements of luminosity and stellar mass functions, and for tracing large-scale structure in GOODS-S/N?
• RQ3 How can rest-frame UV-to-optical spectral diagnostics (emission lines, breaks) be used to infer star formation histories, metallicities, and dust properties at high redshift?
• RQ4 What is the role of rare populations (e.g., obscured galaxies, AGN) and environmental effects in early galaxy evolution as revealed by JADES?

Key findings

• JADES is the largest program in JWST Cycle 1, allocating ~770 hours split roughly evenly between NIRCam and NIRSpec (with MIRI support).
• In GOODS-S, JADES yields a deep imaging region of ~45 arcmin2 with ~130 hr exposures over 9 NIRCam filters, plus extended medium-depth imaging to ~175 arcmin2 over 8–10 filters.
• In GOODS-S and GOODS-N, the survey provides extensive NIRSpec multi-object spectroscopy, including 2 deep pointings (~55 hr each), 14 medium pointings (~12 hr), and 15 shallow pointings (~4 hr), targeting >5000 faint sources with 5 dispersers covering 0.6–5.3 μm.
• JADES extends redward with coordinated MIRI parallels: ~9 arcmin2 at 7.7 μm with ~43 hr, and ~18 arcmin2 (twice area) at 12.8 μm with 2–6.5 hr exposures.
• The program emphasizes a two-field strategy (GOODS-S and GOODS-N) to mitigate cosmic variance and maximize legacy value for deep-field science.
• The design highlights strong imaging-spectroscopy synergy, enabling robust redshift measurements, improved SED modeling, and enhanced study of galaxy evolution within the ΛCDM framework.