Super-thin, lightweight X-ray mirrors made of silicon can make next-generation X-ray space telescopes.
Above – Goddard scientist Will Zhang holds mirror segments made of silicon. These X-ray optics have been baselined for the proposed Lynx X-ray Observatory.
Credits: Chris Gunn/NASA
X-ray mirror technology being developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has been baselined for the conceptual Lynx X-ray Observatory. Lynx is one of four potential missions that scientists have vetted as worthy pursuits under the 2020 Decadal Survey for Astrophysics.
In the 2030s, Lynx could literally carry tens of thousands of Zhang’s mirror segments, which would offer a two orders-of-magnitude leap in sensitivity over NASA’s flagship Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency’s Advanced Telescope for High-Energy Astrophysics, or Athena. Chandra itself offered a significant leap in capability when it launched in 1999. It can observe X-ray sources — exploded stars, clusters of galaxies, and matter around black holes —100 times fainter than those observed by previous X-ray telescopes.
In another development, Zhang and his team have secured a nearer-term flight opportunity aboard a sounding rocket mission scheduled for 2021. This would represent the technology’s first demonstration in space.
Seven-Year Development Effort
The effort to develop the new optic began seven years ago when Zhang began experimenting with mono-crystalline — a single-crystal silicon that had never before been used to create X-ray mirrors. These specially fabricated optics must be curved and nested inside a cylindrically shaped container so that highly energetic X-ray photons graze their surfaces and deflect into an observatory’s instruments rather than passing through them.
This particle beam polishes the surface of a new X-ray optic made of silicon.
Credits: Chris Gunn/NASA
The goal was to develop easily reproducible, lightweight, super-thin mirrors, without sacrificing quality.
“What we’ve done is shown from a scientific perspective and empirically that these optics can be built” using an inexpensive, abundantly available material that is immune from the internal stresses that can change the shape of X-ray mirrors made of glass, the more traditional mirror-making material, Zhang said.
NASA’s review panel deemed two other technologies – full-shell mirrors and adjustable optics – will be able to fulfill the requirements of the conceptual Lynx Observatory.
Zhang’s mirrors provide 0.5 arc-second resolution — comparable to the image quality afforded by ultra-high-definition television — they also met Zhang’s low-mass requirements. They are 50 times lighter and thinner than Chandra’s, Zhang said. Future observatories could carry far more mirrors, creating a larger collection area for snagging X-rays emanating from high-energy phenomena in the universe.
SOURCES- NASA
Written By Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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Now–what about X-ray lasers?
If not quite laser intensity–If I had one of those old high power Shoe-fitting fluoroscopes, and some mirrors to concentrate things–what kind of mischief could I do with that?
People tend to see what they want to see. If blacks can’t compete against whites then why is there so much fear?
BTW, a monoculture cannot compete against hybrids. In the end the diversity of the hybrids well always allowed them to evolve and win.
Yes, it has to be a cultural thing. But that’s a negative
cultural thing. Think about it – blacks can’t compete
against whites, and now Asians are beginning to crowd
out whites in universities, industry etc..
There’s a “filter” effect here too that few recognize. The
USA “filtered” out the physical blacks from Africa. At the
same time the expense and danger of the frontier had a
filtering effect on European settlers to the New World.
There’s plenty of smart Africans, and dumb or lazy
Europeans – but America acted to select.
When I was young I use to go to various libraries in the Bronx. I noticed that most of the people there were black and few of them were white. I didn’t jump to a conclusion other than that it reflected the population in the neighborhood.
Just a note that historically in parts of this country that it was a death sentence for a black man to be able to read. Also many blacks are from the Southern States where the cultural norm is to consider been highly educated to be effeminate. Real men work with their hands.
It wasn’t “one instance”
The issue was of such interest to me that I checked everywhere
I went. As I was using library computers all over the country for
emailing friends it was a good chance to observe the numbers.
I saw about 2-3% Afro Americans in national parks – plenty of
Indians, Africans and other “people of color” but few Afro Americans.
Same too in places like the Empire State and Grand Canyon. I took
the time to count them because someone in my family reckoned I
was being “racist.”
Wonder if there’s any potential for this to be used for x-ray lithography after the limits of EUV for chip making are reached? Granted, EUV is just starting to finally be deployed, but its nice to know that there is a potential version of xray optics available.
Because of the small wavelengths x-ray telescopes can give very high resolution.
Must have gone to a library in China. When I go to a library in Ethiopia most of the students are African. How about that? One instance has no statistical significance.
Maybe the next iteration after this telescope, will be built in orbit. Maybe several nodes held in position by tethers, and laser multiplication, allowing very long focal lengths.
I think they’re grazing incidence mirrors.
Notice how in any research group in Europe, USA or Australia how many
Chinese names crop up.
During a recent visit to the USA I noted who was in American libraries.
About 80% of the students were Asian, 20% white Americans and 0%
African Americans. And that is about where the money will be one day.
Good for the Asians, they try hard. They might just own the world.
I get why they call them mirrors, but really the overall construct appears to be more of a lense. If you could reflect x-rays 180 degrees, that might allow coherent x-ray lasers.
Seems like OUTSTANDING achievement
Really
I am not usually so enthusiastic.
100x higher brightness at reduced mass is an optics revolutionary development.
Obviously there’d be some sort of caveats… such as a narrow range of wavelengths and acceptance angles. But still, better X Ray imaging is a plus.
Chandra is ageing
new one needed soom