THE MAJOR GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP X-RAY REFLECTION GRATINGS FOR FUTURE NASA MISSIONS. OFF-PLANE REFLECTION GRATINGS ARE AN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY THAT IS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING AN EFFICIENT…

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded a $142,573 grant to The Pennsylvania State University, doing business as Penn State, to develop off-plane X-ray reflection gratings for future NASA missions. This four-year research and development effort aims to fabricate, replicate, align, and test high-performance off-plane gratings capable of achieving the spectral resolving power and effective area requirements for future X-ray observatories. The work will leverage Penn State's prior NASA technology development funding and support a recently awarded NASA suborbital rocket program. This grant does not have a set-aside designation.

THE MAJOR GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP X-RAY REFLECTION GRATINGS FOR FUTURE NASA MISSIONS. OFF-PLANE REFLECTION GRATINGS ARE AN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY THAT IS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING AN EFFICIENT MEANS OF OBTAINING HIGH RESOLUTION SPECTRA AT SOFT X-RAY ENERGIES. REFLECTION GRATINGS ARE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED IN THE XMM-NEWTON REFLECTION GRATING SPECTROMETER (RGS) WHILE THE OFF-PLANE MOUNT HAS BEEN USED IN SUBORBITAL ROCKETS, AND STUDIED FOR EXPLORER CLASS MISSIONS SUCH AS THE WARM-HOT INTERGALACTIC MEDIUM EXPLORER (WHIMEX) AND FUTURE X-RAY OBSERVATORIES SUCH AS THE INTERNATIONAL X-RAY OBSERVATORY (IXO), THE ADVANCED X-RAY SPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING OBSERVATORY (AXSIO), AND THE NOTIONAL X-RAY GRATING SPECTROMETER (N-XGS). FUTURE SCIENCE GOALS REQUIRE HIGHER SPATIAL RESOLUTION, HIGHER SPECTRAL RESOLUTION, AND HIGHER THROUGHPUT TO PERFORM THE KEY PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS. THIS TRANSLATES TO A SPECTRAL RESOLVING POWER OF 3000 (λ/Δλ) AND EFFECTIVE AREA OF 1000 CM2 OVER A 0.3-1.5 KEV ENERGY RANGE AS APPROPRIATE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. AN OFF-PLANE X-RAY GRATING SPECTROMETER (OP-XGS) CAN REACH THESE GOALS WHEN COUPLED WITH A LARGE AREA, MODEST RESOLUTION TELESCOPE. SEVERAL SPECTROMETER DESIGNS INCORPORATING A ~5-15 TELESCOPE FOLLOWED BY AN ARRAY OF OFF-PLANE GRATINGS DISPERSING LIGHT ONTO A CCD CAMERA HAVE BEEN FORMULATED DURING OBSERVATORY PROGRAM STUDIES. WE PRESENT HERE A COURSE OF EFFORT DESIGNED TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFF-PLANE GRATINGS TECHNOLOGIES INCLUDING FABRICATION, REPLICATION, ALIGNMENT, AND TESTING. OVER THE COURSE OF A 9 MONTH CONCEPT STUDY WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A NOVEL FABRICATION TECHNIQUE THAT WE PLAN TO IMPLEMENT DURING THE FOUR YEAR DEVELOPMENT EFFORT. THE RESULT WILL BE A HIGH-FIDELITY OFF-PLANE GRATING CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING THE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS OF FUTURE X-RAY MISSIONS. WE PLAN TO REPLICATE THESE GRATINGS, ALIGN THEM INTO A MODULE MOUNT, AND PERFORMANCE TEST THE ASSEMBLY. THIS WORK WILL LEVERAGE HEAVILY OFF OF A CURRENT NASA STRATEGIC ASTROPHYSICS TECHNOLOGY GRANT AND WILL BE CRITICAL TO THE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT NECESSARY FOR A RECENTLY AWARDED NASA SUBORBITAL ROCKET PROGRAM.