The INTEGRAL survey of the LMC: assessment study with the Observation Simulator.

ABSTRACT. The Magellanic Clouds are ideal targets to exploit the imaging capabilities of the INTEGRAL instruments. A proposal has been made to devote the ISDC guaranteed time to the observation of the LMC with the aim of (1) studying the spectral/temporal properties of the hard X-ray emission from a number of known compact objects, (2) discovering new transient sources that could become TOO, (3) searching for diffuse emission both in continuum and in lines, (4) studying serendipitous sources (AGNs). Here we present the main scientific objectives of a systematic monitoring and a possible observation strategy to optimize the scientific return of this project, based on expected instrument performances and on a simulation obtained with the Observation Simulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]