Abstract

An x-ray spectrometer which is sensitive in the 0.5–7-keV energy range and is intended for use onboard astronomical satellites has been studied. The Bragg reflected rays from a doubly bent crystal positioned downstream of the focal plane of a grazing-incidence concentrator are focused along the axis of a position sensitive detector. A high throughput concentrator with densely nested thin-foil conical mirrors approximating a Wolter-1 system can be used without loss of spectral resolution. Other advantages include simultaneous (scanning free) coverage of the spectral range of interest, nearly stigmatic imaging, and crystal-limited resolution.

© 1985 Optical Society of America

Bragg reflection concentrators for hard x-ray astronomy

Herbert W. Schnopper
Appl. Opt. 20(6) 1089-1093 (1981)

Bragg imaging of extended cosmic x-ray sources: the objective crystal spectrometer

Herbert W. Schnopper and Bjarne P. Byrnak
Appl. Opt. 26(14) 2871-2876 (1987)

Spherical crystal imaging spectrometer (SCIS) for cosmic x-ray spectroscopy

Herbert W. Schnopper and Paul O. Taylor
Appl. Opt. 19(19) 3306-3312 (1980)

Conical Focusing Crystal Spectrometers for Cosmic X-Ray Astronomy

B. E. Woodgate, T. Lowinger, and M. Schneider
Appl. Opt. 12(11) 2759-2764 (1973)

Bragg diffraction technique for the concentration of hard x-rays for space astronomy

P. De Chiara and F. Frontera
Appl. Opt. 31(10) 1361-1369 (1992)