Testing of lobster-eye type telescopes with x-rays and visible light

Thorsten Döhring; Veronika Stieglitz; Peter Friedrich; Vadim Burwitz; Martin Jelinek; Rene Hudec

doi:10.1117/12.2665429

7 June 2023 Testing of lobster-eye type telescopes with x-rays and visible light

Thorsten Döhring, Veronika Stieglitz, Peter Friedrich, Vadim Burwitz, Martin Jelinek, Rene Hudec

Proceedings Volume 12576, EUV and X-ray Optics: Synergy between Laboratory and Space VIII; 1257606 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2665429
Event: SPIE Optics + Optoelectronics, 2023, Prague, Czech Republic

Abstract

Reflective coatings for astronomical X-ray optics were developed at the “Aschaffenburg Competence Center for Astronomical and Space Instrumentation” (ACCASI) since several years. As part of a Bavarian-Czech cooperation between the Technical University of Aschaffenburg and the Czech Technical University of Prague, now two mechanically identical telescopes were built. One telescope optic was equipped with conventional gold-coated mirrors, manufactured by the Czech project partners. The 34 X-ray mirrors of the second telescope use an innovative coating system made of chromium and iridium, which was applied at the Aschaffenburg coating laboratory. Both telescopes are designed according to the bionic principle of a reflecting lobster eye. The optics works with two consecutive reflections on mutually perpendicular mirror surfaces. This enables a large field of view with many square degrees in diameter, which, however, comes at the price of a reduced angular resolution. An extensive X-ray characterization of these telescopes was carried out at the PANTER test facility of MPE, which simulates parallel starlight incident on the telescopes. The telescopes have an angular resolution of about 4 arc minutes in X-rays and a focal length of about 2 meters. Furthermore, the used X-ray mirrors reflect and focus visible light as well and this functionality in the optical regime was checked in laboratory tests. Now another test campaign was done to examine the telescope resolution for real objects of the visible sky and the imaging properties for star constellations. Such functional tests by observing astronomical objects of the visible sky may simplify and accelerate the development of X-ray telescopes for satellite applications.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Thorsten Döhring, Veronika Stieglitz, Peter Friedrich, Vadim Burwitz, Martin Jelinek, and Rene Hudec "Testing of lobster-eye type telescopes with x-rays and visible light", Proc. SPIE 12576, EUV and X-ray Optics: Synergy between Laboratory and Space VIII, 1257606 (7 June 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2665429

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