Technologies for advanced X-ray mirror fabrication

TL;DR

This paper reviews current and emerging technologies for fabricating high-precision X-ray mirrors crucial for space telescopes, emphasizing manufacturing methods, recent advancements, and future innovations including Industry 4.0 integration.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of fabrication methodologies and discusses their impact on telescope performance, highlighting recent developments and future prospects in X-ray mirror technology.

Findings

Analysis of subtractive, formative, fabricative, and additive manufacturing methods.

Review of technologies used in recent X-ray space telescopes like Athena and Lynx.

Introduction of Industry 4.0 concepts for future mirror fabrication innovations.

Abstract

X-ray mirror fabrication for astronomy is challenging; this is due to the Wolter I optical geometry and the tight tolerances on roughness and form error to enable accurate and efficient X-ray reflection. The performance of an X-ray mirror, and ultimately that of the telescope, is linked to the processes and technologies used to create it. The goal of this chapter is to provider the reader with an overview of the different technologies and processes used to create the mirrors for X-ray telescopes. The objective is to present this diverse field in the framework of the manufacturing methodologies (subtractive, formative, fabricative & additive) and how these methodologies influence the telescope attributes (angular resolution and effective area). The emphasis is placed upon processes and technologies employed in recent X-ray space telescopes and those that are being actively investigated for future missions such as Athena and concepts such as Lynx. Speculative processes and technologies relating to Industry 4.0 are introduced to imagine how X-ray mirror fabrication may develop in the future.