The diffuse high-latitude Hα background is widely believed to be predominantly the result of in-situ recombination of ionized hydrogen in the warm interstellar medium of the Galaxy. Instead, we show that both a substantial fraction of the diffuse high-latitude Hα intensity in regions dominated by Galactic cirrus dust and much of the variance in the high-latitude Hα background are the result of scattering by interstellar dust of Hα photons originating elsewhere in the Galaxy. We provide an empirical relation, which relates the expected scattered Hα intensity to the IRAS 100 µm diffuse background intensity, applicable to about 81% of the entire sky. The assumption commonly made in reductions of CMB observations, namely that the observed all-sky map of diffuse Hα light is a suitable template for Galactic free-free foreground emission is found to be in need of reexamination.

We present the methodology used to fabricate an X-ray reflection grating and describe a technique for grating replication. Further, we present the experimental procedure and results of a study to measure the diffraction efficiency of a replicated X-ray reflection grating in an extreme off-plane geometry. The blazed grating demonstrates a total diffraction efficiency of ∼60% from 0.34 to 1.2 keV at a grazing angle of ∼1.°5, with single-order efficiency ranging from ∼35% to 65% for energies within the blaze envelope. The diffraction efficiency of the grating measured relative to the reflectivity of the metal coating averages ∼90% above 0.34 keV. Data collected as a function of beam position on the grating indicate a relative variation in total efficiency of <1% rms across the grating surface.

Future NASA X-ray spectroscopy missions will require high throughput, high resolution grating spectrometers. Off-plane reflection gratings are capable of meeting the performance requirements needed to realize the scientific goals of these missions. We have identified a novel grating fabrication method that utilizes common lithographic and microfabrication techniques to produce the high fidelity groove profile necessary to achieve this performance. Application of this process has produced an initial pre-master that exhibits a radial (variable line spacing along the groove dimension), high density (>6000 grooves/mm), laminar profile. This pre-master has been tested for diffraction efficiency at the BESSY II synchrotron light facility and diffracts up to 55% of incident light into usable spectral orders. Furthermore, tests of spectral resolving power show that these gratings are capable of obtaining resolutions well above 1300 ($\lambda/\Delta\lambda$) with limitations due to the test apparatus, not the gratings. Obtaining these results has provided confidence that this fabrication process is capable of producing off-plane reflection gratings for the next generation of X-ray observatories.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, Submitted to Experimetal Astronom

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Lynx is a concept under study for prioritization in the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey. Providing orders of magnitude increase in sensitivity over Chandra, Lynx will examine the first black holes and their galaxies, map the large-scale structure and galactic halos, and shed new light on the environments of young stars and their planetary systems. In order to meet the Lynx science goals, the telescope consists of a high-angular resolution optical assembly complemented by an instrument suite that may include a High Definition X-ray Imager, X-ray Microcalorimeter and an X-ray Grating Spectrometer. The telescope is integrated onto the spacecraft to form a comprehensive observatory concept. Progress on the formulation of the Lynx telescope and observatory configuration is reported in this paper.