BARREL 2M: Fast Time Resolution Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra

Antarctic and Arctic stratospheric balloon campaigns collected this data. It contains six channels of fast time resolution (50 ms) Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra, covering an energy range from 0 MeV to 1.5 MeV. The BARREL mission, a NASA Living with a Star Mission of Opportunity, gathered these measurements from over 50 balloon launches between 2013 and 2016.

Use Cases

• Analyzing temporal variations in electron precipitation based on 50 ms time resolution X-ray spectra
• Characterizing spatial scales of relativistic electron precipitation based on balloon constellation measurements
• Correlating balloon-based X-ray data with in-situ plasma wave and particle measurements from satellites
• Studying magnetospheric processes by mapping balloon observations to magnetic local time regions

Strengths

• Provides six distinct spectral channels (FSPC1a, FSPC1b, FSPC1c, FSPC2, FSPC3, FSPC4) for detailed analysis
• Offers fast time resolution of 50 milliseconds for capturing rapid events
• Data collected from over 50 stratospheric balloon launches across four campaigns
• Coordinated with multiple ground and space-based instruments, including the Van Allen Probes

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to balloon launch sites in Antarctica and Sweden

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 03:46:23.205613; freshness should be verified

Geography

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