High-resolution X-ray gratings enable state-of-the-art spectrometer

X-ray-optics technology has progressed such that future astrophysics X-ray observatories will have orders-of magnitude better performance than existing observatories such as NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. High-resolution soft X-ray spectroscopy offers particularly useful observations that can provide information about the evolution of large-scale structure in the universe, conditions near black holes, stellar atmospheres, and more.