Electroformed grazing incidence x-ray mirrors for a mirror array telescope.

Area of Science:

• Optics and X-ray instrumentation
• Materials science and engineering

Background:

• Development of advanced X-ray optics is critical for high-energy applications.
• Grazing incidence mirrors, specifically Wolter type I designs, are essential for focusing X-rays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate and test grazing incidence Wolter type I mirrors for higher-energy X-rays.
• To evaluate the performance of electroformed mirrors fabricated from superpolished mandrels.

Main Methods:

• Replication of Wolter type I mirrors via electroforming from superpolished mandrels.
• X-ray testing of single mirrors and nested pairs using 1.5- and 6.4-keV X-rays.
• Optical profilometry to measure mirror microroughness and comparison with X-ray test results.

Main Results:

• Successful replication of grazing incidence mirrors with subminute of arc resolution.
• Measured reflectivity was confirmed to be close to theoretical values.
• Correlation between measured microroughness and X-ray performance was investigated.

Conclusions:

• Electroforming is a viable technique for producing high-performance grazing incidence X-ray mirrors.
• The replicated mirrors demonstrate excellent resolution and reflectivity suitable for higher-energy X-ray applications.
• Mirror microroughness is a key factor influencing X-ray optical performance.