Patent Number: 050162659
Section: claims

1. A multispectral x-ray spectroscopic telescope for producing multiple high spatial resolution spectral images of solar and stellar x-ray and extreme ultraviolet radiation sources comprising: a telescope housing, a primary optical system having a glancing incidence primary mirror carried at a receiving end of said telescope housing for reflecting a beam of incident radiation, said primary optical system having an optical axis and a primary focus disposed within said housing, a plurality of mirrors each having a respective concave surface corresponding to a surface of revolution and having diffraction gratings ruled on the respective concave surface disposed within said housing behind said primary focus at an inclination to said optical axis, said diffraction grating mirrors being arranged in said optical system so that a first focal point of said diffraction grating mirrors is coincident with the primary focus of said optical system, an x-ray detector disposed within said housing and carried at a second focus of each diffraction grating mirror off of said optical axis, a multilayer coating on each concave surface of said diffraction grating mirrors to enhance the reflectivity of a desired wavelength of radiation, and positioning means for selectively positioning one of said diffraction grating mirrors behind said primary focus so that the reflected beam of incident radiation impinges upon said one diffraction grating mirror to thereby reflect and disperse by diffraction x-rays of a desired wavelength upon said detector. 2. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 1, wherein said diffraction grating mirrors are carried on a rotating carrier inclined relative to said optical axis. 3. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 1, wherein said gratings are ruled at a blaze angle of no more than approximately 30 degrees. 4. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 3, wherein the diffraction gratings differ on the respective mirrors. 5. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 4, wherein the coatings differ on the respective diffraction grating mirrors. 6. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope for high spatial resolution imaging at precise spectral lines of wavelengths in a low wavelength band comprising: a telescope housing, a primary optical system having a glancing incidence primary mirror carried at a receiving end of said telescope housing for reflecting a beam of incident radiation, said primary optical system having an optical axis and a primary focus disposed within said housing, a plurality of mirrors each having a respective concave surface corresponding to a segment of a surface of revolution and having diffraction gratings ruled on the respective concave surface, each of said diffraction mirrors being disposed behind said primary focus at an inclination to said optical axis and having a multilayer coating deposited on the respective diffraction grating to enhance the diffraction reflectivity of a desired wavelength in said band, each of said diffraction grating mirrors having a first focus coincident with said primary focus and a second focus off of said optical axis, a first of said diffraction grating mirrors being disposed in front of the remaining diffraction grating mirrors so that said radiation beam is normally incident only upon said first diffraction grating mirror, an x-ray detector disposed at the second focus of each of said mirrors, and selection means for selectively moving at least said first diffraction grating mirror out of the path of said radiation beam so that radiation beam may impinge upon a second of said diffraction gratings. 7. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 6, wherein said diffraction grating mirrors have a common second focus. 8. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 6, wherein at least said first and second diffraction grating mirrors are inclined at different angles to said optical axis for reflecting by diffraction incident radiation to different x-ray detectors. 9. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 6, wherein said surface of revolution is an ellipsoid and each of said diffraction grating mirrors is an ellipsoidal diffraction grating mirror. 10. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 6, wherein said primary focus is disposed on said optical axis. 11. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 6, wherein the coating on at least one of said first and second diffraction grating mirrors has uniform 2D spacings, and said mirrors are inclined relative to said optical axis so that a relatively broad wavelength region of incident radiation is reflected by each mirror to said second focus. 12. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 11, wherein at least said first and second diffraction grating mirrors have respective multilayer coatings enhanced so that the same wavelength portion of said incident radiation beam is reflected to and imaged upon an x-ray detector at said second focus. 13. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 11, wherein at least said first and second diffraction grating mirrors have identical coatings so that a different wavelength portion of said incident radiation beam is reflected to and imaged upon an x-ray detector at said second focus. 14. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 6, wherein said gratings are ruled at a blaze angle of no more than 30 degrees. 15. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 14, wherein the blaze angle on said first mirror differs from the blaze angle on said second mirror. 16. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 8, wherein said gratings are ruled at a blaze angle of no more than 30 degrees. 17. A variable magnification variable dispersion x-ray spectroscopic telescope for high spatial resolution imaging at precise spectral lines of wavelengths in an x-ray and extreme ultraviolet radiation band comprising: a telescope housing, a primary optical system having a glancing incidence primary mirror carried at a receiving end of said telescope housing for reflecting a beam of incident radiation, said primary optical system having an optical axis and a primary focus lying on said axis disposed within said housing, a plurality of rotatable cylindrical carriers disposed one behind the other within said housing behind said primary focus, a plurality of mirrors each having a respective concave surface corresponding to a segment of a surface of revolution mounted on each of said carriers and positioned at an inclination to said optical axis, each of said mirrors having diffraction gratings ruled on the respective concave surface and including a multilayer coating on the respective diffraction grating to enhance the reflectivity of a desired wavelength in said band, the coatings on the diffraction mirrors of a first carrier differing from each other and the coatings on the diffraction grating mirrors of at least a second carrier differing from each other, each of said diffraction grating mirrors having a first focus coincident with the primary focus and a second focus off of said optical axis, an x-ray detector disposed at the second focus of each of said diffraction grating mirrors, means for selectively rotating said carriers to select a diffraction grating mirror thereon for receiving said incident radiation beam, and selection means for selectively moving at least the first carrier into and out of a disposition for receiving reflected radiation from said primary system to permit said radiation to strike a selected diffraction grating mirror on said second carrier when said first carrier is moved out of said disposition to form an image upon the detector at the second focus of said selected diffraction grating mirror, and to permit said radiation to strike a selected diffraction grating mirror on said first carrier when said first carrier is in said disposition to form a higher magnification, smaller field of view image upon the detector at the second focus of the selected diffraction grating mirror on said first carrier. 18. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 17, wherein all of said diffraction grating mirrors have a common second focus. 19. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 17, wherein the gratings are ruled at a blaze angle of no more than 30 degrees. 20. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 18, wherein the blaze angle on at least certain of said diffraction grating mirrors differs from the blaze angle on others of said diffraction grating mirrors. 21. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 17, wherein the diffraction grating mirrors on said first carrier are inclined at a first inclination to said optical axis and the mirrors on said second diffraction grating mirror are inclined at a second and different angle to said optical axis so that incident radiation is reflected to a first x-ray detector by the mirrors on said first carrier and is reflected to a different x-ray detector by the mirrors on said second carrier. 22. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 17, wherein the surface of revolution is an ellipsoid and each of said diffraction grating mirrors is an ellipsoidal mirror. 23. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 22, wherein all of said mirrors have a common second focus. 24. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 22, wherein the diffraction grating mirrors on said first carrier are inclined at a first inclination to said optical axis and the diffraction grating mirrors on said second diffraction grating mirror carrier are inclined at a second and different angle to said optical axis so that incident radiation is reflected to a first x-ray detector by the diffraction mirrors on said first carrier and is reflected to a different x-ray detector by the diffraction grating mirrors on said second carrier. 25. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 24, wherein the gratings are ruled at a blaze angle of no more than 30 degrees. 26. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 25, wherein the blaze angle on at least certain of said diffraction grating mirrors differs from the blaze angle on others of said diffraction grating mirrors. 27. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 17, wherein said primary focus is disposed on said optical axis. 28. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 27, wherein the gratings are ruled at a blaze angle of no more than 30 degrees. 29. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 28, wherein the blaze angle on at least certain of said diffraction grating mirrors differs from the blaze angle on others of said diffraction grating mirrors. 30. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 29, wherein all of said mirrors have a common second focus. 31. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 27, wherein all of said diffraction grating mirrors have a common second focus. 32. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 27, wherein the diffraction grating mirrors on said first carrier are inclined at a first inclination to said optical axis and the diffraction grating mirrors on said second diffraction grating mirror are inclined at a second and different angle to said optical axis so that incident radiation is reflected to a first x-ray detector by the diffraction grating mirrors on said first carrier and is reflected to a different x-ray detector by the diffraction grating mirrors on said second carrier. 33. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 27, wherein the surface of revolution is an ellipsoid and each of said mirrors is an ellipsoidal mirror. 34. An x-ray spectroscopic telescope as recited in claim 33, wherein the diffraction grating mirrors on said first carrier are inclined at a first inclination to said optical axis and the diffraction grating mirrors on said second mirror carrier are inclined at a second and different angle to said optical axis so that incident radiation is reflected to a first x-ray detector by the diffraction grating mirrors on said first carrier and is reflected to a different x-ray detector by the diffraction grating mirrors on said second carrier.