BARREL: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns

Four channels of fast time resolution Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra detected with a NaI Scintillator, covering an energy range from 0 MeV to 1.5 MeV. The data was collected by NASA's BARREL mission, a multiple-balloon investigation designed to study electron losses from Earth's Radiation Belts, with campaigns conducted from Antarctica and Sweden between 2013 and 2016. Over 50 stratospheric balloons were launched, providing measurements to augment the Van Allen Probes mission.

Use Cases

• Study electron precipitation from Earth's Radiation Belts based on bremsstrahlung X-ray measurements.
• Analyze spatial and temporal variations of precipitation based on data from a slowly moving balloon array.
• Characterize the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies based on balloon measurements.
• Correlate precipitation events with in-situ plasma wave and particle data from the Van Allen Probes mission.

Strengths

• Fast time resolution of 50 milliseconds per measurement.
• Data collected from over 50 stratospheric balloon launches across four campaigns.
• Campaigns coordinated with the Van Allen Probes mission and other ground and space-based instruments.

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 carried on stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 04:16:38.867041; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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