It has been known for some time that sputtered low-density coatings deposited under vacuum (e.g. carbon or B4C), applied on top of high-density metallic coatings, can enhance the reflectivity in the soft x-ray band (below ~5 keV). In the last years, we experimented with novel carbonated coatings obtained by dip-liquid deposition, in which a thin film is formed on the surface of a mirror by immersion in a suitable precursor solution. After several attempts with different chemical compounds, we found an optimal candidate both for the reflectivity performance and for the convenience of the deposition process, which is much simpler and inexpensive compared to conventional processes. In particular, such coatings can enhance the soft x-ray response at the reflection angles employed in future telescopes, like ATHENA (ESA), Lynx (NASA) and eXTP (CAS). In this paper we consider the application of dip-liquid overcoatings on conventional coatings (Au, Ir) or in combination with recently proposed chromium overcoatings and their possible uses to enhance the reflectivity of x-ray mirrors at low, medium or higher energies, presenting the first experimental results of x-ray tests on these coatings.
Wolter-I Optics for SmallSat Astronomy Mission (WOSAM) are a highly adaptable option for SmallSat missions for a number of astronomical uses. These compact Wolter-I optics with focal lengths on the order of 0.5 - 1 m are able to fit within strict mass and volume constraints and can be designed to fit the scientific requirements of exoplanet, solar, and lunar missions. In order to maximize Effective Area the telescope’s collecting area, graze angle, and vignetting need to be balanced. These factors are primarily affected by the optics’ focal length, outer diameter, shell length, and shell spacing. We show the modeling results of three SmallSat missions, the SmallSat Exosphere Explorer of hot Jupiters (SEEJ), the SmallSat Solar Axion and Activity X-ray Imager (SSAXI), and the Lunar X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (LuXIS). These missions have a range of Effective Area, Energy band, and Field of View requirements that can all be met with WOSAM telescopes.
Metallic coatings made of precious metals (e.g. Ir, Pt or Au) with high atomic number Z have been traditionally employed at grazing incidence for X-rays reflection and focalization. These materials offer a range of reflection extended to higher energies, but also present a series of absorption edges, which limit the reflectivity in the 2-4 keV band and below. Therefore the search for alternative coatings, able to improve the reflection in the soft energy range, is particularly relevant for the development of future telescopes, like ATHENA (ESA), Lynx (NASA) and eXTP (CAS). Low-Z overcoatings (e.g. carbon or B4C), applied on top of the high-Z metallic layer, can enhance the reflectivity in the softer band (mainly below 2 keV), but conventional deposition methods for these materials are not easily compatible with some of the mainstream technologies for mirror fabrication (notably, the silicon pore optics that will be used for the ATHENA X-ray mission which is being implemented by ESA). In this work we discuss novel solutions (carbon-like overcoatings realized by dip coating or vapor phase deposition), which can be particularly convenient for the application to ATHENA and to future telescopes.
We are developing Wolter-I X-ray optics for use in SmallSat missions. These optics are being designed for telescope focal lengths on the order of 0.5 - 1 m, much shorter than typical Astrophysics missions. The various parameters of the optics module: diameter, length, number nested shells, coatings, etc., depend partly on the spacecraft bus but the final design is driven by the science and instrument requirements of the mission (effective area, resolution, and energy band of interest). Ray trace software was developed and used to project the performance of several optics configurations, which, designed for SmallSat missions, meet the instrument requirements for the SmallSat Exosphere Explorer of hot Jupiters (SEEJ) . Results of this modeling is presented.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.