BARREL 4D: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns, 10 ms Resolution

30 channels of ultra-fast time resolution (10 ms) Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra collected by NASA's BARREL mission. The data, spanning campaigns from 2013 to 2016 in Antarctica and Sweden, measure electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts using stratospheric balloons. This dataset provides raw channel count data with associated energy levels for each record.

Use Cases

• Analyzing temporal variations in electron precipitation based on 10 ms time resolution X-ray spectra.
• Characterizing the spatial scale of relativistic electron precipitation based on multi-balloon array observations.
• Correlating balloon-based X-ray measurements with in-situ plasma wave and particle data from the Van Allen Probes.
• Studying magnetospheric processes by combining data with ground-based radar systems like EISCAT.

Strengths

• Provides 30 channels of spectral data with ultra-fast 10 ms time resolution.
• Data collection spans four campaigns from 2013 to 2016 across Antarctic and Arctic regions.
• Designed to coordinate with the Van Allen Probes mission for comprehensive in-situ 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 separate EPHM files.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

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 11:39:07.581092; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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