Level Structures on the Weierstrass Family of Cubics

Let W → 𝔸 ² be the universal Weierstrass family of cubic curves over ?. For each N ≥ 2, we construct surfaces parameterizing the three standard kinds of level N structures on the smooth fibers of W. We then complete these surfaces to finite covers of 𝔸 ². Since W → 𝔸 ² is the versal deformation space of a cusp singularity, these surfaces convey information about the level structure on any family of curves of genus g degenerating to a cuspidal curve. Our goal in this note is to determine for which values of N these surfaces are smooth over (0, 0). From a topological perspective, the results determine the homeomorphism type of certain branched covers of S ³ with monodromy in SL₂ (?/N).