A concept for a soft gamma-ray concentrator using thin-film multilayer structures

Peter F. Bloser; Farzane Shirazi; Olof Echt; James E. Krzanowski; Jason S. Legere; Mark L. McConnell; John G. Tsavalas; Emily N. Wong; Paul H. Aliotta

doi:10.1117/12.2233386

18 July 2016 A concept for a soft gamma-ray concentrator using thin-film multilayer structures

Peter F. Bloser, Farzane Shirazi, Olof Echt, James E. Krzanowski, Jason S. Legere, Mark L. McConnell, John G. Tsavalas, Emily N. Wong, Paul H. Aliotta

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9905, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray; 99056L (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2233386
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

We are investigating the use of thin-film, multilayer structures to form optics capable of concentrating soft gamma rays with energies greater than 100 keV, beyond the reach of current grazing-incidence hard X-ray mirrors. Alternating layers of low- and high-density materials (e.g., polymers and metals) will channel soft gamma-ray photons via total external reflection. A suitable arrangement of bent structures will then concentrate the incident radiation to a point. Gamma-ray optics made in this way offer the potential for soft gamma-ray telescopes with focal lengths of less than 10 m, removing the need for formation flying spacecraft and opening the field up to balloon-borne instruments. Following initial investigations conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory, we have constructed and tested a prototype structure using spin coating combined with magnetron sputtering. We are now investigating whether it is possible to grow such flexible multi-layer structures with the required thicknesses and smoothness more quickly by using magnetron sputter and pulsed laser deposition techniques. We present the latest results of our fabrication and gamma-ray channeling tests, and describe our modeling of the sensitivity of potential concentrator-based telescope designs. If successful, this technology offers the potential for transformational increases in sensitivity while dramatically improving the system-level performance of future high-energy astronomy missions through reduced mass and complexity.

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Peter F. Bloser, Farzane Shirazi, Olof Echt, James E. Krzanowski, Jason S. Legere, Mark L. McConnell, John G. Tsavalas, Emily N. Wong, and Paul H. Aliotta "A concept for a soft gamma-ray concentrator using thin-film multilayer structures", Proc. SPIE 9905, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, 99056L (18 July 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2233386

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