Precision Manufacturing in China of Replication Mandrels for Ni-Based Monolithic Wolter-I X-ray Mirror Mandrels

Jiadai Xue; Bo Wang; Qiuyan Liao; Kaiji Wu; Yutao Liu; Yangong Wu; Wentao Chen; Zheng Qiao; Yuan Jin; Fei Ding; Dianlong Wang; Langping Wang; Guo Li; Yanji Yang; Yong Chen

doi:10.3390/aerospace11100849

Aerospace (Oct 2024)

Precision Manufacturing in China of Replication Mandrels for Ni-Based Monolithic Wolter-I X-ray Mirror Mandrels

Jiadai Xue,
Bo Wang,
Qiuyan Liao,
Kaiji Wu,
Yutao Liu,
Yangong Wu,
Wentao Chen,
Zheng Qiao,
Yuan Jin,
Fei Ding,
Dianlong Wang,
Langping Wang,
Guo Li,
Yanji Yang,
Yong Chen

Affiliations

Jiadai Xue: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Bo Wang: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Qiuyan Liao: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Kaiji Wu: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Yutao Liu: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Yangong Wu: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Wentao Chen: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Zheng Qiao: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Yuan Jin: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Fei Ding: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Dianlong Wang: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Langping Wang: Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 92 Xidazhijie Street, Harbin 150001, China
Guo Li: School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, No. 52 Xuefu Street, Harbin 150080, China
Yanji Yang: Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 19B Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
Yong Chen: Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 19B Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11100849
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 10
p. 849

Abstract

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The X-ray satellite “Einstein Probe” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) was successfully launched on 9 January 2024 at 15:03 Beijing Time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China with a “Long March-2C” rocket. The Einstein Probe is equipped with two scientific X-ray telescopes. One is the Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT), which uses lobster-eye optics. The other is the Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT), a Wolter-I type telescope. These telescopes are designed to study the universe for high-energy X-rays associated with transient high-energy phenomena. The FXT consists of two modules based on 54 thin X-ray Wolter-I grazing incidence Ni-replicated mirrors produced by the Italian Media Lario company, as contributions from the European Space Agency and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), which also provided the focal-plane detectors. Meanwhile, the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), together with the Harbin Institute of Technology and Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, has also completed the development and production of the structural and thermal model (STM), qualification model (QM) and flight model (FM) of FXT mirrors for the Einstein Probe (EP) satellites for demonstration purposes. This paper introduces the precision manufacturing adopted in China of Wolter-I X-ray mirror mandrels similar to those used for the EP-FXT payload. Moreover, the adopted electroformed nickel replication process, based on a chemical nickel–phosphorus alloy, is reported. The final results show that the surface of the produced mandrels after demolding and the internal surface of the mirrors have been super polished to the roughness level better than 0.3 nm RMS and the surface accuracy is better than 0.2 μm, and the mirror angular resolution for single mirror shells may be as good as 17.3 arcsec HPD (Half Power Diameter), 198 arcsec W90 (90% Energy Width) @1.49 keV (Al-K line). These results demonstrate the reliability and advancement of the process. As the first efficient X-ray-focusing optics manufacturing chain established in China, we successfully developed the first focusing mirror prototype that could be used for future X-ray satellite payloads.

Published in Aerospace

ISSN: 2226-4310 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Technology: Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/aerospace

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