The Polar Cap Products (PCP) project is part of ESA's STSE (the Support To Science Element) Swarm+Innovation Program, a programmatic component of EOEP (Earth Observation Envelope Programme).

In this project, PCP based on in-situ data from the Swarm mission are developed. PCP will provide essential information on polar cap patches, which are an important element of space weather in the polar regions. PCP will enable models for forecasting space weather at high latitudes.

The objectives of the PCP project are:

1. Automatic detection of polar cap patches and calculating the corresponding polar cap patch index
2. Estimation of the gradient drift instability growth time within the polar cap patch

Polar cap patches are regions of enhanced plasma density in the ionospheric F region inside the polar cap, i.e., poleward of the auroral oval. The plasma density of polar cap patches is more than twice that of the background. Polar cap patches are convected over the magnetic poles from the dayside towards nightside.

Find out more about the Polar Cap Products project

This project is funded by ESA, Contract No. 4000114121/15/NL/MP.