SOME APPLICATIONS OF NANOMETER-SCALE STRUCTURES FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE X-RAY SPACE RESEARCH

Nanometer scale structures such as multilayers, gratings and natural c rystals are playing an increasing role in spectroscopic applications f or X-ray astrophysics. A few examples are briefly described as an intr oduction to current and planned applications pursued at the Danish Spa ce Research Institute in collaboration with the FOM Institute for Plas ma Physics, Nieuwegein, the Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik, Aussenstelle Berlin, the Space Research Institute, Russian Ac ademy of Sciences, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Ovonics Synthetic Materials Company and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory . These examples include: 1. the application of multilayered Si crysta ls for simultaneous spectroscopy in two energy bands one centred aroun d the SK-emission near 2.45 keV and the other below the CK absorption edge at 0.284 keV ; 2. the use of in-depth graded period multilayer st ructures for broad band spectroscopy in the energy range up to 100 keV ; 3. the potential use of large perfect asymmetrically cut Si or Ge cr ystals combined with a short focal length multilayer telescope for ult ra high energy resolution solar/stellar spectroscopy with E/DELTAE > 1 0(4) and; 4. high throughput multilayer coated telescope for high reso lution Fe K line spectroscopy with microcalorimeters.