Daniel A. Schwartz

SMART-X: Square Meter Arcsecond Resolution x-ray Telescope

SMART-X is a mission concept for a 2.3 m2 effective area, 0.5 angular resolution X-ray telescope, with 5 FOV, 1 pixel size microcalorimeter, 22 FOV imager, and high-throughput gratings.

Orbital Measurement and Verification of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory's PSF

We present here results of the on-orbit calibration of the point spread function (PSF), comparing it with our predictions. We discuss how the PSF varies with source location in the telescope field of view, as well as with the spectral energy distribution of the source.

Observation of Centaurus A by the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer

The Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer made a short (10 ks) observation of the radio galaxy Centaurus A on 1996 August 14. Analysis of the combined 2.5-240 keV spectrum has revealed a heavily absorbed (NH=9.42±0.24×1022 cm-2) primary power law (Γ=1.86±0.015) and an iron line due to fluorescence of cold matter (EW=162±25 eV). Flux from a jet, a primary flux scattered into the line of sight, or a primary flux seen through a partial absorber was not required. The iron-line width is unresolved at the 95% confidence level (σ<0.54 keV). No significant variability in the iron-line flux is seen from measurements over the last two decades, while the overall continuum flux varied by more than a factor of 4, which implies that the line emission region is distant from that of the primary emission. While radio-quiet Seyfert galaxies exhibit spectral components attributable to Compton reflection from cold matter, Cen A reveals no such component (exposed solid angle ratio Ω/2π≤0.09). This supports unified models of active galaxies that have little difference between Seyfert 2 and low-luminosity radio galaxies.

High-Resolution X-Ray Telescopes

High-energy astrophysics is a relatively young scientific field, made possible by space-borne telescopes. During the half-century history of x-ray astronomy, the sensitivity of focusing x-ray telescopes-through finer angular resolution and increased effective area-has improved by a factor of a 100 million. This technological advance has enabled numerous exciting discoveries and increasingly detailed study of the high-energy universe-including accreting (stellarmass and super-massive) black holes, accreting and isolated neutron stars, pulsar-wind nebulae, shocked plasma in supernova remnants, and hot thermal plasma in clusters of galaxies. As the largest structures in the universe, galaxy clusters constitute a unique laboratory for measuring the gravitational effects of dark matter and of dark energy. Here, we review the history of high-resolution x-ray telescopes and highlight some of the scientific results enabled by these telescopes. Next, we describe the planned next-generation x-ray-astronomy facility-the International X-ray Observatory (IXO). We conclude with an overview of a concept for the next next-generation facility-Generation X. The scientific objectives of such a mission will require very large areas (about 10000 m2) of highly-nested lightweight grazing-incidence mirrors with exceptional (about 0.1-arcsecond) angular resolution. Achieving this angular resolution with lightweight mirrors will likely require on-orbit adjustment of alignment and figure.

Invited Review Article: The Chandra X-ray Observatory

The Chandra X-ray Observatory is an orbiting x-ray telescope facility. It is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations four Great Observatories that collectively have carried out astronomical observations covering the infrared through gamma-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Chandra is used by astronomers world-wide to acquire imaging and spectroscopic data over a nominal 0.1-10 keV (124-1.24 Å) range. We describe the three major parts of the observatory: the telescope, the spacecraft systems, and the science instruments. This article will emphasize features of the design and development driven by some of the experimental considerations unique to x-ray astronomy. We will update the on-orbit performance and present examples of the scientific highlights.

Reflectance calibrations of AXAF mirror samples at absorption edges using synchrotron radiation

We are developing a system to calibrate reflectances of witness coupons to the AXAF flight mirrors at the National Synchrotron Light Source over the 0.05-12 keV energy range. These witness coupons will be coated in the same process as the AXAF mirror elements. One of the key issues is the accurate determination of mirror efficiencies across the absorption edges of the mirror coating elements. We present a series of reflectance measurements with 2 eV resolution of a nickel-coated flat mirror in the region of the Ni L-II (870 eV) and L-III (853 eV) absorption edges. Scans of reflectance versus grazing angle at fixed energies in this region show distinct interference fringes at grazing angles larger than the critical angle which are extinguished as the photon energy is increased beyond the low point of the L-III edge, indicating total absorption of the evanescent wave within the Ni film. At 51 arc minutes grazing angle, measured reflectance decreases smoothly by 35 percent and then recovers in an 8 eV band at the L-III edge. We have also measured reflectances in the M absorption edge region for gold, platinum, and iridium coated mirrors. We derive optical parameters n and k specific to the film for comparison to the existing data tables.

Deep Multiwaveband Observations of the Jets of 0208-512 and 1202-262

We present deep Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra, Very Large Array, and Australia Telescope Compact Array images of the jets of PKS 0208-512 and PKS 1202-262, which were found in a Chandra survey of a flux-limited sample of flat-spectrum radio quasars with jets. We discuss in detail their X-ray morphologies and spectra. We find optical emission from one knot in the jet of PKS 1202-262 and two regions in the jet of PKS 0208-512. The X-ray emission of both jets is most consistent with external Comptonization of cosmic microwave background photons by particles within the jet, while the optical emission is most consistent with the synchrotron process. We model the emission from the jet in this context and discuss implications for jet emission models, including magnetic field and beaming parameters.

Adjustable grazing incidence x-ray optics: measurement of actuator influence functions and comparison with modeling

The present generation of X-ray telescopes emphasizes either high image quality (e.g. Chandra with sub-arc second resolution) or large effective area (e.g. XMM-Newton), while future observatories under consideration (e.g. Athena, AXSIO) aim to greatly enhance the effective area, while maintaining moderate (~10 arc-seconds) image quality. To go beyond the limits of present and planned missions, the use of thin adjustable optics for the control of low-order figure error is needed to obtain the high image quality of precisely figured mirrors along with the large effective area of thin mirrors. The adjustable mirror prototypes under study at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory are based on two different principles and designs: 1) thin film lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) piezoelectric actuators directly deposited on the mirror back surface, with the strain direction parallel to the glass surface (for sub-arc-second angular resolution and large effective area), and 2) conventional leadmagnesium- niobate (PMN) electrostrictive actuators with their strain direction perpendicular to the mirror surface (for 3-5 arc second resolution and moderate effective area). We have built and operated flat test mirrors of these adjustable optics. We present the comparison between theoretical influence functions as obtained by finite element analysis and the measured influence functions obtained from the two test configurations.

The square meter arcsecond resolution x-ray telescope: SMART-X

We describe an X-ray Observatory mission with 0.5” angular resolution, comparable to the Chandra X-ray Observatory, but with 30 times more effective collecting area. The concept is based on developing the new technology of adjustable X-ray optics for ultra thin (0.4 mm), highly nested grazing incidence X-ray mirrors. Simulations to date indicate that the corrections for manufacturing and mounting can be determined on the ground and the effects of gravity release can be calculated to sufficient accuracy, so that all adjustments are applied only once on-orbit, without the need of any on-orbit determination of the required corrections. The mission concept is based on the Chandra Observatory, and takes advantage of the technology studies which have taken place over the past fifteen years developing large area, light weight mirrors.

AXAF HXDS germanium solid state detectors

The design, calibration, and performance of the high purity germanium (HPGe) solid state detectors (SSDs) used in the calibration of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility high resolution mirror assembly (HRMA) is discussed. The focal plane SSD was used with various apertures to measure the point response function, as well as the effective area of the mirror. The good energy resolution of the detector allowed the effective energy of the mirrors to be measured with a single exposure using a continuum source. The energy resolution was also exploited in measuring the molecular contamination on the mirror surfaces. The SSDs are the transfer detector standards for the HRMA calibration over the energy range from 700 eV to 10 keV. The calibration of the SSDs was performed mostly at the PTB radiometry laboratory using the electron storage ring BESSY. The spectral and spacial distribution of the undispersed synchrotron radiation can be calculated from first principles using the Schwinger Equation. With the electron storage ring being run in a reduced current mode of a few electrons, uncertainties in the calculated flux are below 1%. A comparison of the measured and calculated flux made it possible to determine the detector efficiency with an uncertainty of typically 1%. Electronic effects such as pile- up, count rate linearity and deadtime have been investigated.