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

NASA's BARREL mission collected 30-channel Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra with 10-millisecond time resolution from stratospheric balloons. The data, spanning campaigns in Antarctica (2013-2014) and Sweden (2015-2016), measure electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. Over 50 balloon flights were conducted, providing the first such measurements coordinated with in-situ satellite and ground-based observations.

Use Cases

• Modeling relativistic electron precipitation events based on ultra-fast 10 ms time resolution X-ray spectra.
• Analyzing spatial scales of electron precipitation by correlating data from the balloon array across magnetic local time.
• Studying radiation belt loss processes by combining balloon X-ray data with concurrent Van Allen Probes and EISCAT radar measurements.
• Characterizing Bremsstrahlung X-ray energy spectra using the 30-channel data and tracked energy bins.

Strengths

• Provides ultra-fast time resolution data at 10 milliseconds per record.
• Includes over 50 balloon flights from four distinct campaigns spanning 2013 to 2016.
• Data is coordinated with comprehensive in-situ measurements from the Van Allen Probes mission and other instruments.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data below 25 km altitude is not filtered out, requiring users to check altitude in separate EPHM files.

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 11:27:43.268123; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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