Imaging performance of multilayer x-ray mirrors

Abstract

We analyze soft x-ray images of the solar corona, obtained on the day of the solar eclipse in July 1991, and find that the deviations of our telescope mirror from the perfect surface are less than 1 Å for spatial periods between 1 μm and 1 mm. Our thin film deposition technique allows us to reduce errors over larger periods to the 1 Å level. Thus, we are able to produce large (diameter over 20 cm) x-ray mirrors with diffraction limited resolution below 0.01 arcsec.