BARREL 4A: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra with 10 ms Time Resolution

30 channels of ultra-fast time resolution (10 ms) Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra data from the BARREL mission. The data were collected by NASA via balloon-borne instruments launched from Antarctica (2013-2014) and Sweden (2015-2016) to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. The dataset is Level 2 processed and, unlike other BARREL products, includes data from altitudes below 25 km.

Use Cases

• Study spatial and temporal variations of electron precipitation based on X-ray spectrometer measurements.
• Characterize the spatial scale of relativistic electron precipitation based on balloon array observations.
• Correlate precipitation events with in-situ plasma wave and particle data from the Van Allen Probes mission.
• Analyze ultra-fast (10 ms) time resolution X-ray spectra to understand precipitation microphysics.

Strengths

• Provides 30 channels of spectral data with ultra-fast 10 ms time resolution.
• Data collection coordinated with the Van Allen Probes mission and other ground/space instruments.
• Includes data from over 50 stratospheric balloon flights across four campaigns (2013-2016).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Measurement altitude is not filtered and must be checked in a separate EPHM file for accurate use.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by X-ray spectrometers and DC magnetometers carried on stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

Balloon campaigns conducted in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 11:55:46.507850; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Launch sites in Antarctica (Halley Bay, SANAE IV) and Kiruna, Sweden; observations near Arctic and Antarctic circles.