A prototype capillary optical system has been developed to further test the possible use of polycapillary optics for a hard x-ray spectrometer for astrophysical applications. It has been evaluated both as a concentrator and a collimator of x-rays with energies between 10 and 60 keV. Transmission efficiency, angular acceptance and focal spot size have been measured. Both experiment and simulation results for the prototype optic have demonstrated the potential of x-ray polycapillary optics for astrophysical applications. Further design and fabrication improvements indicated by prototype studies are discussed.

Date Published: 19 November 1998
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 3444, X-Ray Optics, Instruments, and Missions, (19 November 1998); doi: 10.1117/12.331264

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3444:
X-Ray Optics, Instruments, and Missions
Richard B. Hoover; Arthur B. C. Walker II, Editor(s)