BARREL 2T: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns, 32-Second Resolution

Antarctic and Arctic stratospheric balloon campaigns collected 256-channel Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra with a 32-second time resolution, covering energies from 0 MeV to 10 MeV. The BARREL mission, a NASA Living with a Star project, launched over 50 small balloons from 2013 to 2016 to study relativistic electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. Data was collected in coordination with the Van Allen Probes mission and other ground and space-based instruments.

Use Cases

• Modeling radiation belt electron loss processes based on measured Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal scales of relativistic electron precipitation based on multi-balloon constellation data.
• Correlating balloon-based X-ray measurements with in-situ plasma wave and particle data from the Van Allen Probes.
• Studying Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) magnetic field variations using the co-located DC magnetometer data mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Data covers a defined energy range of 0 MeV to 10 MeV across 256 spectral channels.
• Over 50 stratospheric balloon launches were conducted across four campaigns from 2013 to 2016.
• Observations were coordinated 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 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 12:44:02.492354; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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