Development of Ultra-Precision X-ray Mirror towards Future Solar Observations

• Project/Area Number: 24654053
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
• Principal Investigator: SAKAO Taro 独立行政法人宇宙航空研究開発機構, 宇宙科学研究所, 准教授 (00225781)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SUEMATSU Yoshinori 国立天文台, ひので科学プロジェクト, 准教授 (50171111) ; YAMAUCHI Kazuto 大阪大学大学院, 工学研究科, 教授 (10174575) ; MATSUYAMA Satoshi 大阪大学大学院, 工学研究科, 助教 (10423196) ; NARUKAGE Noriyuki 国立天文台, 先端技術センター, 研究員 (50435806)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2013)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000)
• Keywords: 太陽物理学 / X線結像光学 / 超精密計測 / 量子ビーム / 精密研磨 / 宇宙科学 / 太陽X線物理学

Research Abstract

This research aims to acquire key technology elements for developing high-precision grazing-incidence X-ray mirrors that are needed for performing sub-arcsecond resolution imagery of the solar corona in X-rays. For this perpose, an engineering Wolter mirror was fabricated and technical issues during the course of high-precision surface polish of the mirror were identified. X-ray focusing performance of the mirror was then measured at SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility with 8 keV X-rays. It was confirmed that the measured intensity profiles of the focusing X-rays are in good agreement with those synthesized through wave-optical calculation of X-rays from the surface figure profile measured during the high-precision polish. Although sub-arcsecond resolution was not fully achieved with the engineering mirror, critical pieces of knowledge were successfully acquired towards the subsequent fabrication of sub-arcsecond Wolter mirrors for astrophysical applications.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] The soft X-ray photon-counting spectroscopic imager for the Sun (2013)
  • Author(s): Sakao, T., Narukage, N., Shimojo, M., Watanabe, K., Suematsu, Y., Imada, S., and Ishikawa, S.
  • Journal Title: Proc. SPIE Volume: 8862 Pages: 12-12
  • DOI: 10.1117/12.2024753
• [Journal Article] The X-ray/EUV telescope for the Solar-C mission : Science and development activities (2012)
  • Author(s): Sakao,T, Narukage,N, Imada,S, Suematsu,Y, Shimojo,M, Tsuneta,S, DeLuca,E. E, Watanabe,K, Ishikawa,S
  • Journal Title: Proc. SP1E Volume: 8443 Pages: 84430A-84430A
  • DOI: 10.1117/12.926850
• [Presentation] The soft X-ray photon-counting telescope for solar observations (2014)
  • Author(s): Sakao,T, Narukag, N., Suemats, Y., Watanab, K., Shimojo, M., Imada, S., Ishikawa, S., DeLuca,E. E.
  • Organizer: SP1E Astronomical Telescopes and 1nstrumentation
  • URL: http://spie.org/AS/conferencedetails/space-telescopes-and-instrumentation-uv-to-gamma
  • Place of Presentation: Montreal,Canada
  • Year and Date: 2014-06-23
• [Presentation] SOLAR-C X線/EUV望遠鏡の検討状況 (2014)
  • Author(s): 坂尾太郎, 渡遺恭子, 成影典之, 末松芳法, 下条圭美, 石川真之介, 今回晋亮, E. E. DeLuca、]. W. Cirtain, ほかSOLAR-C X線望遠鏡検討グループ
  • Organizer: 第14回宇宙科学シンポジウム
  • URL: http://www.ir.isas.jaxa.jp/sss14/files/SSS14_POSTER_Program_20140103.pdf
  • Place of Presentation: JAXA宇宙科学研究所
• [Presentation] The soft X-ray photon-counting telescope for solar observations (2014)
  • Author(s): Sakao, T., Narukage, N., Suematsu, Y., Watanabe, K., Shimojo, M., Imada, S., Ishikawa, S., and DeLuca, E. E.
  • Organizer: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation
  • Place of Presentation: Montreal, Canada
• [Presentation] 搭載X線望遠鏡の検討状況(1V) (2013)
  • Author(s): 坂尾太郎, 成影典之, 渡遺恭子, 下条圭美, 末松芳法, 石川真之介, 常回佐久, 今回晋亮, E. E. DeLuca, ほかSolar-C WG Solar-C
  • Organizer: 日本天文学会2013年春季年会
  • URL: http://www.asj.or.jp/nenkai/2013a/html/M20a.html
  • Place of Presentation: 埼玉大学
  • Year and Date: 2013-03-22
• [Presentation] Development of an X-ray slope profiler for Wolter mirror - Performance evaluation using wave-optical simulator - (2013)
  • Author(s): Kime,A, Matsuyama,S, Fukui,R, Sakao,T, Suematsu,Y, Yamauchi,K
  • Organizer: Metrology,Astronomy,Diagnostics and Optics Workshop (MEADOW)
  • URL: https://www.elettra.trieste.it/Conferences/2013/MEADOW/index.php?n=Main.Posters
  • Place of Presentation: ICTP,Trieste,Italy
• [Presentation] SOLAR-C X線/EUV望遠鏡の検討状況 (2013)
  • Author(s): 坂尾太郎, 成影典之, 渡遺恭子, 末松芳法, 下条圭美, 石川真之介, 常回佐久, 今回晋亮, E. E. DeLuca, ほかSOLAR-C X線望遠鏡検討グループ
  • Organizer: 第13回宇宙科学シンポジウム
  • URL: http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/j/researchers/symp/sss13/paper/P2-147.pdf
  • Place of Presentation: JAXA宇宙科学研究所
• [Presentation] Development of an X-ray slope profiler for Wolter mirror - Performance evaluation using wave-optical simulator - (2013)
  • Author(s): Kime, A., Matsuyama, S., Fukui, R., Sakao, T., Suematsu, Y., and Yamauchi, K.
  • Organizer: Metrology, Astronomy, Diagnostics and Optics Workshop (MEADOW)
  • Place of Presentation: ICTP, Trieste, Italy
• [Presentation] Solar-C搭載X線望遠鏡の検討状況(IV) (2013)
  • Author(s): 坂尾太郎、成影典之、渡邉恭子、下条圭美、末松芳法、石川真之介、常田佐久、今田晋亮、E. E. DeLuca (Harvard-CfA)、ほかSolar-C WG
  • Organizer: 日本天文学会2013年春季年会
  • Place of Presentation: 埼玉大学
• [Presentation] Solar-C搭載X線望遠鏡の検討状況(111) (2012)
  • Author(s): 坂尾太郎, 成影典之, 渡遺恭子, 末松芳法, 今回晋亮, 下条圭美, 石川真之介, 常回佐久, E. E. DeLuca, ほかSolar-C WG
  • Organizer: 日本天文学会2012年秋季年会
  • URL: http://www.asj.or.jp/nenkai/2012b/html/W24a.html
  • Place of Presentation: 大分大学
  • Year and Date: 2012-09-19
• [Presentation] Solar-C搭載X線望遠鏡の検討状況(III) (2012)
  • Author(s): 坂尾太郎、成影典之、渡邉恭子、末松芳法、今田晋亮、下条圭美、石川真之介、常田佐久、E. E. DeLuca、ほかSolar-C WG
  • Organizer: 日本天文学会2012年秋季年会
  • Place of Presentation: 大分大学