Astrophysics: Advanced Techniques in X-ray Optics

About the role

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

Description

Our objective is to develop techniques to manufacture x-ray telescopes with five characteristics: high angular resolution, high throughput, light weight, low cost, and efficient production. Two independent technologies are in development. We have pioneered an epoxy replication technique that enabled the manufacture of the lightweight, high throughput optics that flew on ASCA and Suzaku. We are improving this technology further to enable both better angular resolution and higher throughput for the upcoming Astro-H mission, scheduled for launch in 2014. We have also pioneered a precision glass mirror forming technique that we have used for manufacturing the mirrors for the upcoming NuSTAR mission, scheduled for launch in 2012. We are developing the glass mirror technology and a corresponding alignment and integration technology to meet the 5 arc-second angular resolution requirement of the International X-ray Observatory. We have the laboratory and engineering resources for making, measuring, and testing high quality x-ray mirrors to advance these technologies for missions in this decade as well as future missions with unprecedented angular resolution (better than 0.5 arc-seconds) and photon collection areas (larger than one square meter).

Location

Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland

Field of Science

Astrophysics

Advisors

• Takashi Okajima
  Takashi.Okajima@nasa.gov
  301-286-1037

Questions about this opportunity? Please email npp@orau.org

Eligibility is currently open to:

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status;
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with 1) a valid EAD card and 2) I-485 or I-589 forms in pending status

Designated Countries for which applications are not currently accepted: https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/export-control

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