Spectral Bias in Standard JWST Data Reduction Pipelines

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Authors: Livolsi Edoardo
Cited by: 0

Abstract

This work investigates the presence of spectral bias introduced by standard data reduction pipelines used in observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The analysis focuses on the mathematical structure of commonly adopted calibration and smoothing procedures applied during the processing of raw spectroscopic data. It is shown that several steps in the standard reduction workflow, including interpolation, spectral smoothing, and background correction, can introduce systematic distortions that affect the reconstruction of intrinsic spectral features. By analysing the spectral transformation operators applied within typical JWST reduction pipelines, the study highlights how algorithmic filtering may alter the statistical and spectral structure of observational datasets. The results suggest that certain classes of narrow spectral features and small-scale fluctuations can be attenuated or reshaped by the reduction process itself, potentially influencing the interpretation of astrophysical signals. The work emphasizes the importance of transparent spectral reconstruction methods and encourages further examination of reduction procedures to ensure that instrumental processing does not introduce unintended biases in the interpretation of high-resolution astronomical spectra.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Astronomy and Astrophysical Research Stellar planetary and galactic studies Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing

Publication details

Journal / source
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Publication date
12 March 2026
Language
EN