LOFAR, a new low frequency radio telescope

LOFAR, the Low Frequency Array, is a large radio telescope consisting of approximately 100 soccer-field sized antenna stations spread over a region of 400 km in diameter. It will operate at frequencies from similar to 10 to 240 MHz, with a resolution at 240 MHz of better than an arcsecond. Its superb sensitivity will allow for studies of a broad range of astrophysical topics, including reionisation, transient radio sources and cosmic rays, distant galaxies and AGNs. In this contribution a status rapport of the LOFAR project and an overview of the science case is presented. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.