Optics manufactured in a gravitational field are made with inherent internal stresses. When these optics are removed from the gravitational field (I.E., put into space) these stresses release. This is referred to as G-release. Theory offers methods of predicting the resulting 0-G shape of these optics. The intent of this paper is to compare results of real data measured on the same mirror from two separate methods; the ‘N-1 rotation test’ and the ‘face up/face down test’.
The Marshall 100-Meter x-ray Beamline is a user facility for x-ray and EUV optics and instrumentation calibration, located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Also known as the Stray Light Test Facility, the Marshall-100 provides a range of focal plane detectors, x-ray sources, translation stages, cleanrooms, and high-vacuum level capability to the high-energy astrophysics community. Facility time is made available to Astronomy and Physics Research and Analysis (APRA) funded projects and is also available to the broader community upon request made to beamline management. The beamline has successfully been employed in the calibration of larger scope projects such as the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma Astronomical Röentgen Telescope X-ray Concentrator (ART-XC) telescope and the Small Explorer (SMEX) class Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Space Telescope. Additionally, the Marshall-100 is instrumental in supporting testing related to MSFC’s high-angular resolution optics development program.
Characterizing Gravity-sag (G-sag) is an essential part of developing a large space-based optic. A method to back out gravity sag of a light-weighted optic using a CGH will be demonstrated. The results from the G-sag CGH determination is compared to the G-sag and Zero-G figure obtained during horizontal G-sag testing. The results from the CGH testing are also compared to the G-sag figure determined from modeling.
Thermal wavefront stability of primary mirror segments may limit the ability of a potential Habitable Worlds Observatory to accomplish its science goals. To help bound the problem, we revisit the measured cryo-deformation of the 1.5-meter ULE® mirror manufactured by L3Harris under the AMTD-2 (Advanced Mirror Technology Development Phase 2) study. The AMTD-2 mirror’s measured thermal sensitivities (astigmatism and mid-spatial error) may bound the thermal stability needed to perform exo-Earth coronagraphy. But power sensitivity is currently unknown. Two different ‘as-built’ STOP (structural thermal optical performance) models were unable to correlate with the mirror’s measured cryo-performance. Measured performance is 50X larger than the 2018 uncorrelated model’s predicted performance. Measured performance is 2.5X larger than the 2023 ‘as-built’ uncorrelated model’s predicted performance. Correlation requires increasing the mirror’s facesheet CTE by 25 to 30 ppb/K above the boule CTE values provided by Corning. We have no physical explanation for why the facesheet CTE values might have changed as a function of fabrication processing. But the implication casts doubt on the ability of models to accurately predict actual mirror thermal stability performance. Or, maybe to produce an accurate prediction requires a model with many more than 11 CTE layers.
Gravity-sag (G-sag) for large space-based telescopes is a critical error budget element that must be taken in consideration. Absolute characterization of gravity sag provides necessary information when testing light weighted optics so that true optical performance can be determined. A method is presented for characterizing G-sag to obtain the 0-G optical surface.
The Marshall 100-Meter X-ray Beamline is a world class facility utilized for testing X-ray and EUV optics and instrumentation. Also known as the Stray Light Test Facility, the beamline has been consequential in the calibration of flight missions such as ART-XC and IXPE. Additionally, the beamline is effectively used for APRA-funded projects and in MSFC own internal optic development campaigns. The Marshall 100-Meter X-ray Beamline a flexible and affordable facility that easily accommodates many of the astrophysical community’s needs. With its recent and upcoming improvements, the Marshall 100-Meter X-ray Beamline will continue to be a user-friendly calibration resource for decades to come.
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