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X-ray telescopes usually operate in space and are quite different from astronomical telescopes for visible light. For normal angles of incidence, optical light is reflected on the mirror surface, whereas X-rays are either transmitted or absorbed. However, also high reflectivity X-rays mirrors are possible, when the incident rays direction is almost parallel to the mirror surface. Such grazing incidence mirrors are usually coated with thin layers of precious metals like iridium, gold or platinum, as this result in high X-ray reflectivity. These noble metals offer a wide range of reflection up to high photon energies, but, due to a series of absorption edges, have low reflectivity in the 2 - 4 keV band and below. This contribution presents the development of innovative material combinations based on thin layers of iridium and chromium, followed by an additional layer of carbon-based materials. We also discuss corresponding production methods (like dip coating) for enhanced reflectivity mirror coatings of future X-ray telescopes.
With ground based optical telescopes astronomers observe celestial objects over a wide spectral range. As usually three or even more reflections at telescope mirrors are involved, good reflection properties of the mirror coatings are important. The aluminum evaporation technique has been - and is still - the standard solution for the reflective coatings of large astronomical mirrors. Such coatings have excellent reflectivity in the ultraviolet and in the visible, but perform poorly in the infrared. Silver is the metal having highest reflectivity for wavelengths longward of 400 nm, but isn´t the best choice for reflectivity in the ultraviolet and for blue light. To avoid degradation by oxidation, durable silver coatings need to be protected by transmitting overcoating layers. In the presented study, different metallic coatings – including unusual ones like sputtered iridium - are characterized to identify a coating that is most suitable for the spectral range from ultraviolet to infrared. Experimental results are compared to simulations based on the complex refractive indices of these materials. Thereby dependence of incidence angle and polarization is also considered.
The EU intends to restrict the use of critical fuels in space propulsion systems. These propellants like hydrazine are chemically aggressive, toxic and carcinogenic. Space propulsion of the future should be environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and easy to handle. Aschaffenburg University and DLR are currently developing environmentally friendly technologies for future satellite engines. Thereby rocket-grade hydrogen peroxide, which is foreseen as a substitute, is converted to uncritical water vapour and oxygen by an exothermic catalytic reaction on nanostructured iridium layers. The resulting hot gases provide the required amount of thrust. The iridium catalyst layers are coated onto ceramic pellets, using RF magnetron sputtering technology. The catalytic functionality was tested afterwards at the chemical laboratories of DLR. First experimental results show a significantly higher catalytic activity for nanostructured iridium surfaces than for smoother crystalline layers.