BARREL: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns

Antarctic and Arctic balloon campaigns collected 30-channel Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra with 50 ms time resolution. The BARREL Mission, a NASA Living with a Star project, launched balloons from Halley Bay and SANAE IV bases in Antarctica in 2013 and 2014, and from Kiruna, Sweden in 2015 and 2016. Over 50 stratospheric balloon payloads measured electron precipitation from Earth's Radiation Belts to augment the Van Allen Probes mission.

Use Cases

• Analyze electron precipitation spatial scales based on multi-balloon X-ray measurements.
• Study temporal variations of Bremsstrahlung X-rays based on 50 ms time resolution spectra.
• Correlate balloon-based precipitation data with in-situ plasma wave and particle measurements.
• Model radiation belt electron losses based on stratospheric altitude observations near 30 km.

Strengths

• Data includes 30 channels of fast time resolution spectra at 50 ms intervals.
• Campaigns spanned multiple years and locations, including Antarctica and Sweden.
• Data is not filtered by altitude below 25 km, providing a potentially broader measurement range.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Altitude data for specific times must be checked in a separate EPHM file.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by X-ray spectrometers carried on stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

Campaigns conducted in January-February 2013, 2014, August 2015, and August 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:32:05.914603; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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