IXO x-ray mirrors based on slumped glass segments with reinforcing ribs: optical and mechanical design, image error budget, and optics unit integration process

Abstract

The International X-ray Observatory (IXO) is being studied as a joint mission by the NASA, ESA and JAXA space agencies. The main goals of the mission are large effective area (>3m² at 1 keV) and a good angular resolution (<5 arcsec HEW at 1 keV). This paper reports on an activity ongoing in Europe, supported by ESA and led by the Brera Astronomical Observatory (Italy), aiming at providing an alternative method for the realization of the mirror unit assembly. This is based on the use of thin glass segments and an innovative assembly concept making use of glass reinforcing ribs that connect the facets to each-other. A fundamental challenge is the achievement with a hot slumping technique of the required surface accuracy on the glass segments. A key point of the approach is represented by the alignment of the mirror segments and co-alignment of the mirror pairs assembled together. In this paper we present the mirror assembly conceptual design, starting from the design of the optical unit, the error budgets contributing to the image degradation and the performance analysis to assess error sensitivities. Furthermore the related integration concept and the preliminary results obtained are presented.