BARREL SSPC: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns, 32-Second Resolution

BARREL 1U X-ray Spectrometer (SSPC) Level 2 data provides 256-channel Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra at a 32-second slow time resolution, covering an energy range from 0 MeV to 10 MeV. The BARREL Mission, a NASA Living with a Star Mission of Opportunity, launched over 50 stratospheric balloons from Antarctica (2013-2014) and Sweden (2015-2016) to study relativistic electron precipitation from Earth's Radiation Belts. This dataset was collected to augment the Van Allen Probes mission and characterize the spatial scale of precipitation.

Use Cases

• Modeling relativistic electron precipitation events based on Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal variations in radiation belt losses based on multi-balloon array data.
• Correlating balloon-based X-ray measurements with in-situ satellite data from the Van Allen Probes.
• Studying the energy distribution of precipitating electrons based on the 256-channel spectrometer data.

Strengths

• Data covers a specific energy range from 0 MeV to 10 MeV across 256 spectral channels.
• Over 50 balloon flights were conducted across four campaigns, providing multiple observational points.
• Campaigns were coordinated with other instruments like the Van Allen Probes and EISCAT radar.

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 ML.
• Data format includes BIN files, which may require specialized tools for access and processing.

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 January-February 2013 and 2014, and August 2015 and 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 13:43:34.321379; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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