MIT Precision Machine Design: Xray Optics Alignment Project

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MITPrecision Machine DesignX-ray Optics
Alignment Project

• Sponsors
• Alex Slocum, Professor MIT
• Mark Schattenburg, Principal Research Scientist
  MIT
• 12 October 2001

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Overview

• Group Introduction
• Project Overview
• Functional requirements
• Strategies
• Conceptual Designs
• Stack, Air Bearings concepts
• Analytical analysis

NGC 253 Optical (above), X-ray (below)
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Group Intro
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Project Overview
Chandras monolithic design is heavy,
Thin, segmented foil optics for future missions
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Functional Requirements

• Align foils parallel to each other
• 2 micron tolerance
• Need to achieve 7 arcsec resolution
• Foils must be fixed into place to use
• Rigid, lightweight flight module
• Endure launch/space conditions
• Permit entrance/exit of x-rays

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Strategy
Foils loosely aligned in flight module

• Align foils using micro-combs and reference
  surface

Glue foils into coarse combs in flight module
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Conceptual Designs-Stack

• Assembly Process
• Put flight module in
• Put lid on
• Align reference combs
• Position foils with spring combs
• Glue

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Conceptual Designs-Air Bearing

• Assembly Process
• Put flight module in
• Slide carriages up/down
• Position foils with spring combs
• Glue

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Concept Analysis

• Deterministic design
• Error budgeting used to estimate systematic,
  random
• Pugh Chart

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Future Work

• Concept selection
• Detailed drawings
• Manufacture
• Testing