BARREL 4E: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns, 32 s Resolution

Over 50 stratospheric balloons were launched across four campaigns from 2013 to 2016 to study relativistic electron precipitation. The BARREL mission, a NASA Living with a Star project, measured bremsstrahlung X-rays from 0 to 10 MeV using a NaI scintillator with 256 channels aggregated into a single 32-second resolution variable. This data provided the first balloon measurements of such precipitation coordinated with in-situ Van Allen Probes observations.

Use Cases

• Modeling radiation belt electron loss processes based on bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal scales of relativistic electron precipitation mentioned in the description.
• Correlating balloon-based X-ray measurements with in-situ satellite and ground-based radar data from coordinated campaigns.
• Studying the relationship between Ultra Low Frequency magnetic field variations and electron precipitation.

Strengths

• Data collected from over 50 balloon flights across four major campaigns from 2013 to 2016.
• Provides the first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation coordinated with comprehensive in-situ measurements.
• Spectra cover a nominal energy range from 0 MeV to 10 MeV across 256 channels.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is aggregated into a single 32-second variable, losing individual channel time resolution.

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 11:35:05.578420; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Balloon launches from Halley Bay and SANAE IV in Antarctica (2013-2014) and Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden (2015-2016).