X-Ray+Chosen+Article+Review

=MIT Team Develops Better X-Ray Nanomirrors=

A team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed new technology that will improve scientists' ability to collect X-rays. This technology will allow for advances to be made in the areas of astrophysics, plasma physics, even environment and life science. The MIT researchers created a large set of tiny mirrors - thousands per millimetre - that will better reflect and diffract X-rays to improve the accuracy of readings. Some of the most fascinating things in the universe can only be studied by by the collection and analysis of X-rays. Up to this point collecting X-rays was a difficult task; and many points of interest in the universe only emit faint X-rays. The nanomirror grating that is the predecessor of the new array (and was also designed at MIT) has a solution on the nanomirrors which actually absorbed a large portion of the X-rays - and that lowered its efficiency. The new grating will be a five-times improvement on the efficiency of its predecessor. It's planned that this technology will be used in NASA's next X-ray telescope, the Constellation-X.

The possibility of discovering and enhancing our knowledge of some of the most fascinating phenomena in the universe is an exciting one. This improvement of the nanomirror grating system sure won't be the last as our technology grows ever smaller and more efficient. I for one look forward to the launch of Constellation-X and to the many advancements it (hopefully) allows.

__[]__