Status of the development of a thin-foil, high-throughput X-ray telescope for the Soviet Spectrum X-gamma mission.
Abstract
The first satellite in a planned series of Soviet astronomical X-ray and gamma-ray satellites will be equipped with two high-throughput telescopes. The optical system consists of two sets of nested cones, whose substrate is aluminum foil. The smooth surface is obtained by dip lacquering, and the reflective layer is gold. The design parameters have been optimized for high throughput at 7 keV. The mechanical design and the status of the surface preparation technologies are described. Various X-ray and optical test facilities for the measurement of surface roughness, "orange peel", and figure errors are described. An optical parallel beam has been established and results from the first mounted mirrors are discussed. The design goal is an angular resolution of 2 arcmin (half energy width). The first results seem to indicate that this is feasible and the possibility of going down to 1.5' exists.
- Publication:
-
Optical Engineering
- Pub Date:
- June 1990
- Bibcode:
- 1990OptEn..29..658W
- Keywords:
-
- Metal Foils;
- Mirrors;
- Soviet Satellites;
- X Ray Telescopes;
- Annealing;
- Design Analysis;
- Metal Coatings;
- Surface Properties;
- Astronomy;
- X-Ray Telescopes