BARREL 2D X-ray Spectrometer: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectrum Data

Antarctic and Arctic stratospheric observations from the BARREL balloon mission, which launched over 50 payloads to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. The dataset contains six channels of fast time resolution (50 ms) Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra, covering an energy range from 0 MeV to 1.5 MeV. Data was collected by NASA during campaigns from 2013 to 2016.

Use Cases

• Analyzing relativistic electron precipitation events based on six-channel X-ray spectra.
• Studying spatial and temporal scales of radiation belt electron losses based on balloon constellation data.
• Correlating stratospheric X-ray measurements with in-situ plasma wave and particle data from satellite missions.
• Characterizing the energy spectrum of precipitating electrons based on the 0-1.5 MeV nominal energy range.

Strengths

• Provides 50 ms time resolution across six spectral channels (FSPC1a, FSPC1b, FSPC1c, FSPC2, FSPC3, FSPC4).
• Covers over 50 balloon launches across four campaigns from 2013 to 2016.
• Designed to coordinate with comprehensive in-situ measurements from the Van Allen Probes mission.

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 analysis.

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 13:25:45.335061; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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