The LOFT mission concept - A status update

M. Feroci, E. Bozzo, S. Brandt, M. Hernanz, M. Van Der Klis, L. P. Liu, P. Orleanski, M. Pohl, A. Santangelo, S. Schanne, L. Stella, T. Takahashi, H. Tamura, A. Watts, J. Wilms, S. Zane, S. N. Zhang, S. Bhattacharyya, I. Agudo, M. AhangarianabhariC. Albertus, M. Alford, A. Alpar, D. Altamirano, L. Alvarez, L. Amati, C. Amoros, N. Andersson, A. Antonelli, A. Argan, R. Artigue, B. Artigues, J. L. Atteia, P. Azzarello, P. Bakala, D. R. Ballantyne, G. Baldazzi, M. Baldo, S. Balman, M. Barbera, C. Van Baren, D. Barret, A. Baykal, M. Begelman, E. Behar, O. Behar, T. Belloni, P. Bellutti, F. Bernardini, G. Bertuccio, S. Bianchi, A. Bianchini, P. Binko, P. Blay, F. Bocchino, M. Bode, P. Bodin, I. Bombaci, J. M. Bonnet Bidaud, G. Borghi, S. Boutloukos, F. Bouyjou, L. Bradley, J. Braga, M. S. Briggs, E. Brown, M. Buballa, N. Bucciantini, L. Burderi, M. Burgay, M. Bursa, C. Budtz-Jørgensen, E. Cackett, F. R. Cadoux, P. Cais, G. A. Caliandro, R. Campana, S. Campana, X. Cao, F. Capitanio, J. 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Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing (LOFT) is a mission concept which was proposed to ESA as M3 and M4 candidate in the framework of the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program. Thanks to the unprecedented combination of effective area and spectral resolution of its main instrument and the uniquely large field of view of its wide field monitor, LOFT will be able to study the behaviour of matter in extreme conditions such as the strong gravitational field in the innermost regions close to black holes and neutron stars and the supra-nuclear densities in the interiors of neutron stars. The science payload is based on a Large Area Detector (LAD, >8m2 effective area, 2-30 keV, 240 eV spectral resolution, 1 degree collimated field of view) and a Wide Field Monitor (WFM, 2-50 keV, 4 steradian field of view, 1 arcmin source location accuracy, 300 eV spectral resolution). The WFM is equipped with an on-board system for bright events (e.g., GRB) localization. The trigger time and position of these events are broadcast to the ground within 30 s from discovery. In this paper we present the current technical and programmatic status of the mission.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016
Subtitle of host publicationUltraviolet to Gamma Ray
EditorsMarshall Bautz, Tadayuki Takahashi, Jan-Willem A. den Herder
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510601895
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016
EventSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Duration: Jun 26 2016Jul 1 2016

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume9905
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Other

OtherSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityEdinburgh
Period6/26/167/1/16

Keywords

  • Silicon detectors
  • X-ray astronomy
  • spectroscopy
  • timing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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