The scientific potential of LOFAR for time-domain astronomy

Abstract

LOFAR is a groundbreaking low-frequency radio telescope currently nearing completion across northern europe. As a software telescope with no moving parts, enormous fields of view and multi-beaming, it has fantastic potential for the exploration of the time-variable universe. In this brief paper I outline LOFAR's capabilities, as well as our plans to use it for a range of transient searches and some crude estimated rates of transient detections.