- 2013.06.28: PDF presentations of the talks are now on line under "programme" -

LOFT is one of the five missions that are currently considered by  ESA  as M3 candidates, for a launch in 2022-2024.

The main instrument that LOFT will carry on board is a Large Area  Detector (LAD) with 10 square meters of effective area, i.e. 20 times the collecting area of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). It will operate in the 2-30 keV range, holding the capability to revolutionise studies of variability from X-ray sources. The LAD detectors have unprecendented spectral resolution for a timing mission -- down to 200 eV -- giving the mission a CCD-class spectral resolution. This will allow one to carry out timing analysis in emission lines as well as fast spectral studies in addition to the continuum timing that has traditionally been carried out so far. The LAD will be a UK-based effort, led by MSSL/UCL with the cooperation of SRC (Leicester).

Additionally, LOFT will carry on board a Wide Field Monitor (WFM) with few mCrab sensitivity in a day, 5 arcmin angular resolution, and a 3 steradian field of view, which will operate in the 2-50 keV energy range. The WFM will provide instantaneous, soft X-ray coverage of about 1/4 of the sky -a field of view larger of any past X-ray monitor. This will open the opportunity to discover new, rare classes of transients, especially in conjunction with the variability surveys at longer and shorter wavelengths set to start in the near future.

With its 20x area leap, LOFT has the capability to make dramatic advances and open up new fields in X-ray astronomy We envision LOFT being of great value to studies of Dense Matter, Strong Gravity, X-ray binaries, Active Galactic Nuclei, cataclysmic variables, pulsars, active stars, novae, gamma-ray bursts, magnetars, and unknown classes of transients.
The aim of this meeting is to strengthen the activities of the LOFT UK community and to stimulate new collaborations and ideas.
Looking forward to see you at the First UK LOFT Science Meeting

The SOC (on behalf of the LOFT Consortium)

For information please contact
S. Zane: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
R. Mignani: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The meeting venue is the RAS Lecture Theatre at the Burlingon House
Meeting Poster
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Invited Speakers
 
N. A. Andersson (Southampton), A. Watts (UVA), I. Jones (Southampton), L. Stella (INAF), P. Uttley (UVA), C. Done (Durham), S. Vaughan (Leicester), R. Mignani (MSSL), L. Amati (INAF), A. Ingram (UVA), R. Fender (Southampton), R. Starling (Leicester), A. Lawrence (Royal Observatory), I. Mandel (Birmingham), J. W. den Herder (SRON), P. Cerda-Duran (Univ. Valencia)
 
Scientific Organizing Commettee
 
Chair: S. Zane (MSSL, UCL); Co-chair: R. Mignani (MSSL, UCL); N. Andersson (Southampton); P. Charles (Southampton); M.J. Coe (Southampton); C. Done (Durham); A. Fabian (Cambridge); R. Fender (Southampton); I. Mc Hardy* (Southampton); P. O'Brien (Leicester); J. Osborne (Leicester); B. Stappers* (Manchester); S. Vaughan (Leicester)
 
*to be confirmed