BARREL MSPC: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Radiation Belt Balloons

48 channels of medium time resolution, 4-second Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra detected with a NaI scintillator, covering an energy range from 0 MeV to 4 MeV. The BARREL mission, a NASA Living with a Star Mission of Opportunity, launched over 50 stratospheric balloons from Antarctic and Arctic sites between 2013 and 2016 to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. Data collection was coordinated with the Van Allen Probes mission and other ground-based instruments.

Use Cases

• Studying electron losses from Earth's Radiation Belts based on bremsstrahlung X-ray measurements
• Characterizing the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies based on balloon array observations
• Analyzing temporal variations of electron precipitation based on 4-second time resolution spectra
• Correlating precipitation events with in-situ plasma wave and particle data from the Van Allen Probes mission

Strengths

• Data collected from over 50 stratospheric balloon flights across four campaigns
• Provides the first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation alongside comprehensive in-situ measurements
• Observations collected near Antarctic and Arctic circles at stratospheric altitudes (~30 km)

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 BIN, PDF, TEXT, HTML formats, which may require specialized tools for analysis

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by X-ray spectrometers carried on BARREL stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

Campaigns conducted in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 04:26:52.239208; freshness should be verified

Geography

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