The Hubble Deep Field (HDF) is a Director's Discretionary program on HST in Cycle 5 to image an undistinguished field at high Galactic latitude in four passbands as deeply as reasonably possible. These images provide the most detailed view to date of distant field galaxies and are likely to be important for a wide range of studies in galaxy evolution and cosmology. In order to optimize observing in the time available, a field in the northern continuous viewing zone was selected and images were taken for ten consecutive days, or approximately 150 orbits. Shorter 1-2 orbit images were obtained of the fields immediately adjacent to the primary HDF in order to facilitate spectroscopic follow-up by ground-based telescopes. The observations were made from 18 to 30 December 1995, and both raw and reduced data have been put in the public domain as a community service. We present a summary of the criteria for selecting the field, the rationale behind the filter selection and observing times in each band, and the strategies for planning the observations to maximize the exposure time while avoiding earth-scattered light. Data reduction procedures are outlined, and images of the combined frames in each band are presented. Objects detected in these images are listed in a catalog with their basic photometric parameters.

We obtained high-resolution FUSE (R ∼ 20,000) and VLT (R ∼ 45,000) spectra of the quasar HE2347-4342 to study the properties of the intergalactic medium between redshifts z = 2.0 − 2.9. The high-quality optical spectrum allows us to identify approximately 850 H I absorption lines with column densities between N ∼ 5 × 10 11 and 10 18 cm −2 . The reprocessed FUSE spectrum extends the wavelength coverage of the He II absorption down to an observed wavelength -2of 920Å. Source flux is detected to restframe wavelengths as short as ∼ 237Å. Approximately 1400 He II absorption lines are identified, including 917 He II Lyα systems and some of their He II Lyβ, Lyγ, and Lyδ counterparts. The ionization structure of He II is complex, with approximately 90 absorption lines that are not detected in the hydrogen spectrum. These features may represent the effect of soft ionizing sources. The ratio η=N(He II)/N(H I) varies approximately from unity to more than a thousand, with a median value of 62 and a distribution consistent with the intrinsic spectral indices of quasars. This provides evidence that the dominant ionizing field is from the accumulated quasar radiation, with contributions from other soft sources such as star-forming regions and obscured AGN, which do not ionize helium. We find an evolution in η toward smaller values at lower redshift, with the gradual disappearance of soft components. At redshifts z > 2.7, the large but finite increase in the He II opacity, τ = 5 ± 1, suggests that we are viewing the end stages of a reionization process that began at an earlier epoch. Fits of the absorption profiles of unblended lines indicate comparable velocities between hydrogen and He + ions. For line widths b He + = ξb H , we find ξ = 0.95 ± 0.12, indicating a velocity field in the intergalactic medium dominated by turbulence. At hydrogen column densities N < 3 × 10 12 cm −2 the number of forest lines shows a significant deficit relative to a power law, and becomes negligible below N = 10 11 cm −2 .

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This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.