BARREL 1A: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns 2013-2016

Four balloon campaigns from 2013 to 2016 collected medium time resolution X-ray spectra to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. The data, from the NASA BARREL mission, includes 48 energy channels covering 0 to 4 MeV, combined into a single variable named MSPC. Over 50 stratospheric balloons were launched from Antarctica and Sweden, providing coordinated measurements with the Van Allen Probes and other instruments.

Use Cases

• Modeling radiation belt electron losses based on bremsstrahlung X-ray measurements.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal scales of relativistic electron precipitation based on balloon array data.
• Correlating precipitation events with in-situ plasma wave and particle data from the Van Allen Probes mission.
• Studying magnetospheric ULF-wave interactions using the concurrent DC magnetometer measurements mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Data spans four coordinated campaigns from 2013 to 2016, providing multi-year coverage.
• Includes 48 energy channels covering a nominal range from 0 MeV to 4 MeV.
• Designed as a coordinated array with multiple balloons to study spatial and temporal variations.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data files are in specialized formats (BIN, PDF, TEXT, HTML), which may require specific tools for processing.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by X-ray spectrometers and DC magnetometers carried on stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

2013-2016

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 04:31:03.717655; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Balloon launches from Halley Bay and SANAE IV, Antarctica (2013-2014) and Esrange Space Center, Kiruna, Sweden (2015-2016).