Abstract
The compositions of diverse planetary bodies are of fundamental interest to planetary science, providing clues to the formation and evolutionary history of the target bodies and the Solar system as a whole. Utilizing the X-ray fluorescence unique to each atomic element, X-ray imaging spectroscopy is a powerful diagnostic tool of the chemical and mineralogical compositions of diverse planetary bodies. Until now the mass and volume of focusing X-ray optics have been too large for resource-limited in-situ missions, so near-target X-ray observations of planetary bodies have been limited to simple collimator-type X-ray instruments. We introduce a new Miniature lightweight Wolter-I focusing X-ray Optics (MiXO) using metal-ceramic hybrid X-ray mirrors based on electroformed nickel replication and plasma thermal spray processes. MiXO can enable compact, powerful imaging X-ray telescopes suitable for future planetary missions. We illustrate the need for focusing X-ray optics in observing relatively small planetary bodies such as asteroids and comet nuclei. We present a few example configurations of MiXO telescopes and demonstrate their superior performance in comparison to an alternative approach, micro-pore optics, which is being employed for the first planetary focusing X-ray telescope, the Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer-T (MIXS-T) onboard Bepicolumbo. X-ray imaging spectroscopy using MiXO will open a large new discovery space in planetary science and will greatly enhance our understanding of the nature and origin of diverse planetary bodies.
Highlights
ROSAT, the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other X-ray observatories have revealed that most planetary bodies in our solar system emit X-rays via various physical processes including X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and charge exchange with plasma
In “Advances of X-ray optics: electroformed Nickel replication with thermal plasma spray” section, we briefly review the advances of Wolter-I X-ray optics and introduce our new approach to build compact, lightweight X-ray optics by merging Electroformed Nickel Replication (ENR) and Plasma Thermal Spray (PTS) processes
Example Miniature lightweight Wolter-I focusing X-ray Optics (MiXO) configurations and performance MiXO made of metal-ceramic hybrid X-ray mirrors shows a tremendous promise in enabling compact X-ray telescopes suitable for various types of planetary missions, which can open a new era of sensitive X-ray imaging spectroscopy in planetary science
Summary
ROSAT, the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other X-ray observatories have revealed that most planetary bodies in our solar system emit X-rays via various physical processes including X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and charge exchange with plasma. The resources allowed for each instrument are limited, and conventional X-ray focusing optics used in the past are too large and too heavy to be a part of planetary missions.
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