The Polar Cap Observatory (PCO) is considered essential for continued progress in understanding the Sun's influence on the structure and dynamics of our planet's atmosphere. An essential first step to the establishment of the PCO is the development of infrastructure in Resolute Bay, Northwest Territories, Canada, and to conduct preliminary scientific investigations in Resolute Bay. The PIs propose to provide the necessary infrastructure to begin the Early PCO (EPCO) phase. This includes a building with laboratory space, optical domes and living quarters, along with road construction and installation of power lines. The PI will also provide a spaced-receiver scintillation detector and ionospheric drift monitor and a frequency-agile radar for preliminary scientific investigations. These investigations will focus on polar cap E fields, plasma structure, polar cap auroral arcs, and polar mesospheric echoes. In addition, the proposed infrastructure would be capable of supporting instruments proposed by other researchers that might include a spectrometer, interferometer, photometer, magnetometer, digisonde, riometer, MF radar, ST radar, and others.
