BARREL 1C: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Radiation Belt Balloon Campaigns

BARREL 1C X-ray Spectrometer (MSPC) Level 2 data provides 48-channel, 4-second resolution Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra from balloon-borne instruments. The BARREL mission, a NASA Living with a Star project, launched over 50 stratospheric balloons from Antarctica and Sweden between 2013 and 2016 to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. The data was collected in coordination with the Van Allen Probes mission and other ground-based instruments.

Use Cases

• Study spatial and temporal variations of electron precipitation based on multi-balloon array observations.
• Characterize the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies based on X-ray spectrometer measurements.
• Correlate balloon-based X-ray data with in-situ plasma wave and particle measurements from the Van Allen Probes.
• Analyze ULF-timescale magnetic field variations using the DC magnetometer data mentioned in the mission description.

Strengths

• Data covers four distinct campaigns from 2013 to 2016, providing multi-year observations.
• Over 50 stratospheric balloon launches were conducted, offering a substantial observational dataset.
• 48 spectral channels cover a nominal energy range from 0 MeV to 4 MeV.

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

Campaigns conducted in January-February 2013 and 2014 (Antarctica), and August 2015 and 2016 (Sweden).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 04:28:32.529793; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Balloon launches from Halley Bay, Antarctica; SANAE IV base, Antarctica; and Esrange Space Center, Kiruna, Sweden.