Advances in active X-ray telescope technologies

The next generation of X-ray telescopes will require both high resolution and high sensitivity to target the earliest astronomical objects, to this end the UK based Smart X-ray Optics (SXO) project has been investigating the application of active/adaptive optics to traditional grazing incidence X-ray optics and this has resulted in the fabrication and testing of our first active X-ray prototype in November 2008. Results from these initial tests have proved very encouraging for this advancing technology and have highlighted the prototype's ability to deform its optical surface through piezoelectric actuation. We present a critical analysis of the first prototype system, discussing metrology of the mandrel, the nickel replicated ellipsoidal optics and the prototype. The measured actuator influence functions of the prototype are compared against finite element analysis simulations and the observed characteristics are then described. The advances required in the current technology are then outlined in relation to a second generation of active X-ray prototype, which is scheduled for X-ray testing in 2010.