BARREL 1H X-ray Spectrometer: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns

BARREL's 48-channel X-ray spectrometer measured bremsstrahlung radiation from 0 to 4 MeV with 4-second resolution. NASA's mission launched over 50 stratospheric balloons from Antarctica and Sweden between 2013 and 2016 to study relativistic electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. This data provided the first balloon measurements of such precipitation coordinated with in-situ satellite observations.

Use Cases

• Modeling relativistic electron precipitation events based on the 48-channel X-ray spectra.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal scales of radiation belt electron loss based on multi-balloon campaign data.
• Correlating balloon-based X-ray measurements with in-situ satellite data from the Van Allen Probes mission.
• Studying the relationship between magnetic field variations and electron precipitation using the described DC magnetometer data.

Strengths

• Data covers four distinct balloon campaigns from 2013 to 2016, providing multi-year temporal coverage.
• Spectra are measured across 48 energy channels with a nominal range from 0 to 4 MeV.
• Mission was designed to coordinate with comprehensive in-situ measurements from the Van Allen Probes.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale statistical analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measurements from X-ray spectrometers and DC magnetometers carried on stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 14:17:43.017384; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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