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

Antarctic and Arctic stratospheric balloon campaigns collected 48-channel Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra from 2013 to 2016. The BARREL Mission, a NASA Living with a Star project, launched over 50 small balloons to study relativistic electron precipitation from Earth's Radiation Belts. Data from NaI scintillators provides 4-second medium time resolution measurements in the 0-4 MeV energy range.

Use Cases

• Modeling electron loss from radiation belts based on balloon-measured Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal scales of relativistic electron precipitation mentioned in the description.
• Correlating balloon X-ray data with in-situ plasma wave and particle measurements from the Van Allen Probes.
• Studying magnetic local time (MLT) variations in precipitation using data from the evolving balloon array.

Strengths

• Data collected during four coordinated campaigns from 2013 to 2016, providing multi-year coverage.
• Over 50 balloon launches were conducted, suggesting a substantial observational campaign.
• Measurements were taken at stratospheric altitudes (~30 km) near Antarctic and Arctic circles.
• Data was collected in coordination with the Van Allen Probes mission and other ground/space instruments.

Limitations

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

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 13:10:43.329849; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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