BARREL 1N Magnetometer: Magnetic Field Data from Stratospheric Balloon Campaigns

BARREL 1N Tri-axial Fluxgate Magnetometer data provides three-axis DC magnetic field measurements from over 50 stratospheric balloon flights. The data, collected by NASA's BARREL mission during campaigns in Antarctica (2013-2014) and Sweden (2015-2016), are not gain-corrected or despun. This dataset was designed to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts in coordination with the Van Allen Probes mission.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ULF-timescale magnetic field variations based on the tri-axial DC magnetometer measurements.
• Studying spatial and temporal patterns of relativistic electron precipitation based on coordinated balloon and satellite observations.
• Characterizing the spatial scale of electron precipitation at relativistic energies based on the multi-balloon array data.
• Correlating stratospheric magnetic field data with in-situ plasma wave and particle measurements from the Van Allen Probes.

Strengths

• Data from over 50 stratospheric balloon flights across four campaigns (2013-2016).
• Coordinated measurements with the Van Allen Probes mission and other ground/space-based instruments.
• Provides first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation alongside comprehensive in-situ data.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data are neither gain-corrected nor despun, which may require additional processing for some analyses.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by tri-axial fluxgate magnetometers on small stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 14:07:08.096279; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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