BARREL Balloon X-ray Spectrometer Fast Time Resolution Data

Four channels of 50 ms resolution Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra, labeled FSPC1 through FSPC4, cover an energy range from 0 to 1.5 MeV. The data was collected by over 50 stratospheric balloon payloads during four campaigns from 2013 to 2016, launched from Antarctica and Sweden. It was part of the NASA BARREL mission to study relativistic electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts.

Use Cases

• Analyze the temporal correlation of X-ray flux across the FSPC1, FSPC2, FSPC3, and FSPC4 channels to study precipitation event dynamics.
• Characterize the energy spectrum of precipitating electrons by modeling the Bremsstrahlung X-ray data from the four spectrometer channels.
• Investigate spatial scales of relativistic electron precipitation by combining FSPC channel data with balloon location and magnetic local time (MLT).
• Validate and correlate in-situ measurements from the Van Allen Probes mission using the fast time resolution X-ray spectra from the BARREL balloons.

Strengths

• Provides 50 ms time resolution data across four distinct X-ray energy channels (FSPC1-FSPC4).
• Data collection spans four separate balloon campaigns from 2013 to 2016, involving over 50 stratospheric balloon launches.
• Collected in coordination with major space physics missions like Van Allen Probes and ground-based instruments like EISCAT.

Limitations

• The dataset is a static archive from completed campaigns (2013-2016) with no ongoing updates.
• Data collection was geographically limited to specific launch sites in Antarctica and Sweden, constraining spatial coverage.
• Primary data files are in specialized formats (BIN, PDF, TEXT, HTML) which may require specific tools or knowledge to process.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) BARREL mission.

Collection Method

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

Time Range

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

Freshness

Static archive; last metadata update was 2026-03-13.

Geography

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