BARREL 4B XSPC: 30-Channel Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra, 0.05 s Resolution

30 channels of fast time resolution, 50 ms, Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra from the BARREL balloon mission. The data were collected by NASA's BARREL mission, a multiple-balloon investigation designed to study electron losses from Earth's Radiation Belts, with campaigns conducted from 2013 to 2016. Observations were made from stratospheric altitudes near 30 km, launched from stations in Antarctica and Sweden.

Use Cases

• Analyze relativistic electron precipitation events based on 30-channel bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra.
• Study spatial and temporal variations of electron loss from radiation belts based on balloon-borne spectrometer data.
• Correlate precipitation events with in-situ plasma wave and particle measurements from other missions.
• Characterize the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies based on multi-balloon constellation data.

Strengths

• Provides 30-channel spectral data with a fast 50-millisecond time resolution.
• Data from over 50 stratospheric balloon flights across four campaigns from 2013 to 2016.
• Designed to augment the Van Allen Probes mission with complementary precipitation measurements.

Limitations

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

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 11:57:47.235012; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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