Metrology for x-ray telescope mirrors in a vertical configuration

Conference · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995

OSTI ID:120909

Li, Haizhang; Li, Xiaodan; Grindel, M W

Mirrors used in x-ray telescope systems for observations outside of the earth`s atmosphere are usually made of several thin nested shells, each formed by a pair of paraboloidal and hyperboloidal surfaces. The thin shells are very susceptible to self-weight deflection caused by gravity and are nearly impossible to test by conventional interferometric techniques. The metrology requirements for these mirrors are extremely challenging. This paper presents a prototype of a Vertical Scanning Long Trace Profiler (VSLTP) which is optimized to measure the surface figure of x-ray telescope mirrors in a vertical orientation. The optical system of the VSLTP is described. Experimental results from measurements on an x-ray telescope mandrel and tests of the accuracy and repeatability of the prototype VSLTP are presented. The prototype instrument has achieved a height measurement accuracy of about 50 nanometers with a repeatability of better than 20 nanometers, and a slope measurement accuracy of about 1 microradian.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 120909
• Report Number(s): BNL--62034; CONF-9510227--1; ON: DE96001921
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
66 PHYSICS
DESIGN
LENSES
MIRRORS
OPTICAL SYSTEMS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
TELESCOPES
X-RAY DETECTION
X-RAY EQUIPMENT