Advanced Rio-Imaging Experiment in Scandinavia (ARIES): System specification and scientific goals

The Advanced Rio-Imaging Experiment in Scandinavia (ARIES) is a new type of imaging riometer (relative ionospheric opacity meter). It represents the first of a new generation of imaging riometers, based upon a Mills Cross system rather than a filled square phased-array. ARIES is located at Ramfjordmoen, near Tromso, Norway, and is partly adjacent and partly overlapping with the field of view of Imaging Riometer for Ionospheric Studies (IRIS) system in Finland and a new Imaging Riometer to be installed at Alomar. In this paper both the scientific goals and system design of ARIES will be presented.