X-ray light catcher for a much lighter space
Tokyo, Japan – A team led by scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University has created unprecedented light optics for X-ray space telescopes, breaking the traditional trade-off between angular resolution and weight. They used Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) technology, creating intricate patterns into silicon wafers that can direct and collect X-rays. By annealing and polishing, they realized ultra-sharp features that could rival the performance of existing telescopes for a fraction of their weight, at significantly lower launch costs. X-ray astronomy provides a vital tool that helps scientists study and classify various celestial bodies that emit and interact with X-rays, including our planet. But there’s something interesting: most of the X-ray radiation is absorbed in our atmosphere, which means that telescopes and detectors have to be launched into space. With this comes various limitations, in particular, how heavy the device can be. One of the main features of all astr