1983•Optical EngineeringRequires access
High Resolution Large Area Modular Array Of Reflectors (LAMAR) Wolter Type I X-Ray Telescope For Spacelab
R. C. Catura, L. W. Acton, W. A. Brown, C. W. Gilbreth, L. Springer, J. R. Vieira, J. L. Culhane, Ingrid Mason, O. Siegmund, T. J. Patrick, P. H. Sheather, K. A. Pounds, B. A. Cooke, K. Evans, J. P. Pye, Geoffrey B. Smith, Alan Wells, J. E. Spragg, C. H. Whitford, G. P. Garmire, B. Margon, A. Fabian
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Abstract
A Wolter Type I x-ray telescope, intended both for astronomical observations and to serve as a prototype module for the large area modular array of reflectors (LAMAR) mission, is now in definition study under NASA's Spacelab program. The five mirror telescope presently being designed is to have a blur circle radius of 20 arc sec and an effective area of about 400 cm2 at 1/4 keV, 200 cm2 in the 0.5 to 2 keV range, and 50 cm2 between 2 and 5 keV. Future expansion to a full ten mirror telescope will approximately double these effective areas. A rotary interchange mechanism will allow either of two imaging proportional counters (IPCs) to be placed at the telescope focus; one operating between 0.15 and 2 keV and the other optimized for the 0.6 to 6 keV energy range. During flight, the telescope will utilize an instrument pointing system for a series of observations lasting from six minutes to several hours. This investigation has dual objectives: The primary objective is scientific and involves observational study of galactic and extragalactic x-ray sources, extending the work of the Einstein Observatory to much fainter sources and to higher energies. The second objective is to provide an assessment of the cost and improved performance of utilizing Wolter Type l x-ray optics for the LAMAR mission and to extend the technology for producing these optics to still higher angular resolution and toward lower cost.