BARREL 2B: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns for Radiation Belt Studies

BARREL 2B X-ray Spectrometer data provides 256-channel slow time resolution (32 s) Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra from 0 MeV to 10 MeV, aggregated into a single variable. 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 relativistic electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. Observations were collected at altitudes near 30 km to augment measurements from the Van Allen Probes mission.

Use Cases

• Modeling electron loss from radiation belts based on Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal variations in relativistic electron precipitation using balloon array data.
• Correlating balloon-based X-ray measurements with in-situ plasma wave and particle data from the Van Allen Probes.
• Characterizing the spatial scale of precipitation events at relativistic energies.

Strengths

• Data covers a nominal energy range from 0 MeV to 10 MeV across 256 spectral channels.
• Over 50 balloon flights were conducted across four campaigns spanning 2013 to 2016.
• Observations were coordinated with the Van Allen Probes mission and other ground-based instruments like EISCAT radar.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data files are in specialized formats (BIN, PDF, TEXT, HTML), which may require specific tools for access.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by 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 13:31:15.801890; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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