Development of an ultra light-weight X-ray telescope and its application to X-ray emission from the solar system

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26287032
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: Ezoe Yuichiro 首都大学東京, 理工学研究科, 准教授 (90462663)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 森下 浩平 京都大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (00511875)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: X線・γ線天文学 / 太陽系科学 / X線望遠鏡 / マイクロマシン技術

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recent observations with X-ray astronomy satellites reveal X-ray emission from planets, comets and satellites in the solar system. X-rays can be a new diagnostic tool to study various phenomena in the solar system such as particle acceleration in planetary magnetospheres and atmospheric escape from planets. We developed an original light-weight X-ray telescope based on MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) technologies, aiming at in-situ X-ray imaging spectroscopy with exploration satellites. We demonstrated a sharp X-ray focusing with a newly fabricated Wolter type-I telescope. We proceeded to thermal and structural analyses for a micro astronomy satellite and conducted a vibration test with a test optic. No damage and change in dynamical response were identified after the vibration test. Furthermore, we tested a new micro X-ray mirror fabrication method using ion beam and succeeded to verify X-ray reflection for the first time in the world with this method.

Free Research Field

X線・γ線天文学