A Large Area Detector proposed for the Large Observatory for X-ray Timing (LOFT)

Abstract

The Large Observatory for X-ray Timing (LOFT) is one of the four candidate ESA M3 missions considered for launch in the 2022 time-frame. It is specifically designed to perform fast X-ray timing and probe the status of the matter near black holes and neutron stars. The LOFT scientific payload is composed of a Large Area Detector (LAD) and a Wide Field Monitor (WFM). The LAD is a 10 m2-class pointed instrument with 20 times the collecting area of the best past timing missions (such as RXTE) over the 2-30 keV range, which holds the capability to revolutionize studies of X-ray variability down to the millisecond time scales. Its ground-breaking characteristic is a low mass per unit surface, enabling an effective area of ~10 m^2 (@10 keV) at a reasonable weight. The development of such large but light experiment, with low mass and power per unit area, is now made possible by the recent advancements in the field of large-area silicon detectors - able to time tag an X-ray photon with an accuracy <10 μs and an energy resolution of ~260 eV at 6 keV - and capillary-plate X-ray collimators. In this paper, we will summarize the characteristics of the LAD instrument and give an overview of its capabilities.

Proceedings of SPIE, Vo. 8443, Paper No. 8443-87

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Measurement of the effect of Non Ionising Energy Losses on the leakage current of Silicon Drift Detector prototypes for the LOFT satellite
• The effect of the displacement damage on the Charge Collection Efficiency in Silicon Drift Detectors for the LOFT satellite
• Characterization of the VEGA ASIC coupled to large area position-sensitive Silicon Drift Detectors
• Effects of capillary reflection in the performance of the collimator of the Large Area Detector on board LOFT
• Hyper-velocity impact test and simulation of a double-wall shield concept for the Wide Field Monitor aboard LOFT