BARREL 1N: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns, 0.05 s Resolution

BARREL 1N X-ray Spectrometer (FSPC) Level 2 data provides four channels of fast time resolution (50 ms) Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra from 0 MeV to 1.5 MeV. The dataset was produced by NASA's BARREL mission, which launched over 50 stratospheric balloons from Antarctica (2013-2014) and Sweden (2015-2016) to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. Observations were collected at altitudes near 30 km to coordinate with the Van Allen Probes mission and other instruments.

Use Cases

• Analyzing temporal variations in electron precipitation based on 50 ms resolution X-ray spectra.
• Characterizing the spatial scale of relativistic electron precipitation based on multi-balloon array data.
• Correlating balloon-based X-ray measurements with in-situ plasma wave and particle data from the Van Allen Probes.
• Studying the relationship between magnetic field variations and electron precipitation using concurrent magnetometer data mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Provides four-channel spectral data with a fast 0.05-second time resolution.
• Data collection coordinated with comprehensive in-situ measurements from the Van Allen Probes mission.
• Over 50 balloon flights were launched across four campaigns, providing spatial and temporal coverage.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Balloon campaigns conducted in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 14:05:20.160370; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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