BARREL 4F: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns, 32-Second Resolution

Over 50 stratospheric balloons were launched across four campaigns to measure relativistic electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. The BARREL mission, a NASA Living with a Star project, used X-ray spectrometers to detect bremsstrahlung X-rays from 0 MeV to 10 MeV with 256 channels at a 32-second resolution. Observations were conducted from Antarctic and Arctic sites between 2013 and 2016 in coordination with the Van Allen Probes mission.

Use Cases

• Study spatial and temporal variations of electron precipitation based on the balloon array's magnetic local time coverage.
• Characterize the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies based on multi-balloon constellation data.
• Correlate balloon-based X-ray measurements with in-situ plasma wave and particle data from the Van Allen Probes.
• Analyze Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra for energy distribution insights based on the 256-channel spectrometer data.

Strengths

• Data collected from over 50 balloon flights across four campaigns, providing multiple observational windows.
• Spectrometer covers a nominal energy range from 0 MeV to 10 MeV across 256 channels.
• Campaigns were coordinated with the Van Allen Probes mission and other ground-based instruments like EISCAT.

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 specialized formats (BIN, PDF, TEXT, HTML), which may require specific tools for analysis.

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 11:28:58.724644; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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