The digital data processing concepts of the LOFT mission
C. Tenzer (a), A. Argan (b), A. Cros (c), Y. Favre (d), M. Gschwender, (a), F. Jetter (a), A. Santangelo (a), S. Schanne (e), P. Smith (f), S. Suchy, (a), P. Uter (a), D. Walton (d), H. Wende (a) ((a) IAAT, Tuebingen, Germany,, (b) INAF-IAPS Rome, Italy, (c) IRAP, Toulouse

TL;DR
This paper discusses the data processing concepts for the LOFT mission, focusing on handling large data rates from X-ray detectors with real-time filtering, compression, and source localization algorithms.
Contribution
It provides an overview of the data handling strategies developed for LOFT's instruments, highlighting real-time processing and algorithmic approaches for X-ray data analysis.
Findings
Design of real-time data filtering and compression for LAD
Algorithms for photon interaction localization in WFM
Efficient data handling concepts for high data rate X-ray observations
Abstract
The Large Observatory for X-ray Timing (LOFT) is one of the five mission candidates that were considered by ESA for an M3 mission (with a launch opportunity in 2022 - 2024). LOFT features two instruments: the Large Area Detector (LAD) and the Wide Field Monitor (WFM). The LAD is a 10 m 2 -class instrument with approximately 15 times the collecting area of the largest timing mission so far (RXTE) for the first time combined with CCD-class spectral resolution. The WFM will continuously monitor the sky and recognise changes in source states, detect transient and bursting phenomena and will allow the mission to respond to this. Observing the brightest X-ray sources with the effective area of the LAD leads to enormous data rates that need to be processed on several levels, filtered and compressed in real-time already on board. The WFM data processing on the other hand puts rather low…
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