"Lobsters" in space - new x-ray telescopes + first 3 missions (Longxia Yan 1, SVOM, SMILE)
Channel: Improbable Matter
Date: 2021-11-09

Reporting on a new type of space-based x-ray telescope based on the type of eye of the humble lobster (the Nephropidae family). This type of optic is now beginning to be launched to space to advance our knowledge of astrophysics. I also mention the Longxia Yan 1, SVOM and SMILE space missions, which use this type of optic.

How optics work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O772SsMqjhY

Contents 
00:00 - Introduction 
00:49 - X-ray optics 
02:24 - Lobster eyes
07:13 - Longxia Yan 1
07:35 - SVOM mission
10:40 - SMILE mission
12:51 - Wrap-up

References
[1] Integration of the MXT Telescope by Emmanuel Grimault,
https://twitter.com/SVOM_mission/status/1394326137254432768
[2] https://www.hku.hk/press/news_detail_21360.html
[3] Crab Nebula composite images by NASA, https://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2018/crab/
[4] Earth’s Atmosphere by Kelvin Ma (User: Kelvin13)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Earth%27s_atmosphere.svg
[5] Chandra X-ray Observatory by NASA,
https://chandra.harvard.edu/resources/illustrations/craftIllustrations.html
[6] M. R. Soman et al., “The SMILE Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) CCD design and development”, Journal of Instrumentation 13, C01022 (2018)
[7] C. H. Feldman et al., “Calibration of a fully populated lobster eye optic for SVOM”, Proceedings of SPIE 11444, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2020: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray, 114441K (2020)
[8] V. Aslanyan et al., “Design and implementation of electron diverters for lobster eye space-based X-ray optics”, Review of Scientific Instruments 90, 124502 (2019)
[9] C. Bertrand and W. Jianyan, “The SVOM mission profile”,
https://indico.in2p3.fr/event/12490/contributions/10007/attachments/8307/10328/SVOM_mission_profile_.pdf
[10] Neutron Star Merger by Luís Calçada, ESO, https://www.eso.org/public/videos/eso1733b/
[11] Origin of the Elements in the Solar System by Jennifer Johnson, 
http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~jaj/nucleo/
[12] ASTM E-490 Solar spectrum, Retrieved from: 
https://www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/appendices/standard-solar-spectra
[13] SMILE mission on the Chinese Academy of Sciences website,
http://english.cssar.cas.cn/smile/
[14] SMILE mission on the Mullard Space Science Laboratory website,
https://www.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/SMILE/simulations.html
[15] SMILE mission by the European Space Agency, https://sci.esa.int/web/smile/multimedia-gallery