InFOC\textbf{$\mu $}S: A Balloon Instrument with $<$10 Arc Second Hard X-ray Imaging

The International Focusing Optics Collaboration for $\mu $Crab Sensitivity (InFOC$\mu $S) is currently funded to develop balloon payload with a multilayer hard X-ray telescope based on slumped glass technology similar to NuSTAR, but fully utilizing the IXO technology to achieve a spatial resolution of $<$10 arcseconds (PSF area $<$1/25 of NuSTAR). The key science goal for this technology is a deep hard X-ray survey to understand role of AGN/black holes in the formation of galaxies. Due to obscuration, this can only be achieved in the hard X-ray band, where absorption is insignificant and that only hard X-ray measurements can unambiguously determine the luminosities of individual AGN. InFOC$\mu $S will demonstrate the technology necessary to resolve the cosmic hard X-ray background missed by NuSTAR, which can only resolve 45-65{\%} of the background due to source confusion, and make a complete census of black hole growth at the peak of their formation between z=0.5 and z=2. We will present our approach to high spatial resolution hard X-ray imaging at low cost, which will be demonstrated by a resolved image of the Crab Nebula from a balloon and can be scaled to a deep-survey Explorer mission. InFOC$\mu $S is being prepared for a flight in the fall of 2013.