M. Collon

Papers

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About

Dr. M. Collon is a leading expert in X-ray optics, specializing in the development of lightweight, high-resolution mirrors for space-based astronomical missions. His most significant contribution is pioneering **silicon pore optics (SPO)** , a revolutionary technology that stacks precision-machined silicon wafers to create ultra-thin, nested X-ray mirrors. This approach overcomes the prohibitive mass and structural limitations of traditional nickel or glass optics, enabling future telescopes to achieve both large effective areas (up to 5 m² at 1 keV) and high angular resolution (better than 5 arcseconds). His seminal 2006 paper on SPO production has garnered 22 citations, serving as a foundational reference for the field. Collon’s work is directly enabling the European Space Agency’s **Athena** mission, a next-generation X-ray observatory. By transforming silicon—a material from the semiconductor industry—into high-performance astronomical mirrors, he has opened a new pathway for building the large, lightweight telescopes needed to study black holes, galaxy clusters, and the hot Universe.