Spherical crystal cosmic X-ray spectrometer

It is shown that, for spectral studies at energies of approximately 3 keV (higher than those usually neglected by grazing incidence telescopes with high efficiency), freestanding, self-focusing crystal arrays offer the most practical way to achieve adequate sensitivity through concentration. Spectro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Space science reviews 1981-03, Vol.30 (1-4), p.607-614
Main Authors: Schnopper, H. W., Koch, L., Cantin, M., Mougin, B., Rocchia, R., Berthelsdorf, R. F., Culhane, J. L.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:It is shown that, for spectral studies at energies of approximately 3 keV (higher than those usually neglected by grazing incidence telescopes with high efficiency), freestanding, self-focusing crystal arrays offer the most practical way to achieve adequate sensitivity through concentration. Spectrometers of this type can be designed for the entire range of energies that can be diffracted by crystals (approximately 500 eV to 10,000 eV); for energies below 3 keV, they can have sensitivities greater than or comparable to that of instruments at the focal plane of a large telescope. It is noted that the concave spherical surface provides the only diffraction geometry which is preserved under all spacecraft rotations. This minimizes the loss of spectral and/or spatial resolution which may arise from source extent and spacecraft pointing and/or alignment errors.
ISSN:0038-6308
1572-9672
DOI:10.1007/BF01246080