Syrinx (Wolter)

The Syrinx in the context of Wolter telescope design refers to a specific type of X-ray mirror assembly developed by Bernhard Wolter and used in X-ray telescopes. This assembly is characterized by its nested configuration of paraboloid and hyperboloid mirrors. X-rays, due to their high energy, are difficult to focus using conventional lenses or mirrors at normal incidence. Wolter telescopes overcome this by using grazing incidence reflection.

The Syrinx (Wolter) design employs two reflecting surfaces: a paraboloid followed by a hyperboloid. The X-rays enter the telescope and are reflected at a very shallow angle off the paraboloid. These slightly deflected X-rays then travel to the hyperboloid surface and are reflected again, converging to a focus.

The key advantage of the Syrinx (Wolter) design is its ability to achieve high-resolution X-ray imaging. By nesting multiple paraboloid-hyperboloid pairs, the effective collecting area of the telescope can be significantly increased, enhancing its sensitivity. This nesting approach allows for the gathering of more photons, enabling the detection of fainter X-ray sources and improving the quality of the resulting images.

The Syrinx design is named in reference to the mythical nymph Syrinx, who was pursued by the god Pan and transformed into reeds. Pan fashioned these reeds into the panpipe, reflecting the nested, tubular structure of the Wolter mirror assembly.

The term Syrinx specifically identifies the physical mirror assembly itself, embodying the Wolter telescope optical design principles. Variations and improvements on the initial Wolter designs exist, but the core concept of nested paraboloid and hyperboloid mirrors remains central to the modern Syrinx (Wolter) X-ray telescope.