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BARREL 2A Ephemeris (EPHM) Geographic and Magnetic Coordinates, Level 2, 4 s Data

(2021). BARREL 2A Ephemeris (EPHM) Geographic and Magnetic Coordinates, Level 2, 4 s Data [Data set]. NASA Space Physics Data Facility. https://doi.org/10.48322/k17v-zh58. Accessed on .
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ResourceID
spase://NASA/NumericalData/BARREL/2A/Ephemeris/L2/PT4S

Description

Geographic and Magnetic Coordinates: The ephemeris data products, which include the balloon epoch time, latitude, longitude, and altitude, are each returned from the payload once every 4s. Geographic coordinates are obtained from an onboard Global Positioning System, GPS, unit. Magnetic coordinates are derived by using the International Radiation Belt Environment Modeling, IRBEM, FORTRAN library.

The BARREL Mission was a multiple-balloon investigation designed to study electron losses from Earth's Radiation Belts. Selected as a NASA Living with a Star Mission of Opportunity, BARREL was designed to augment the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, RBSP, mission by providing measurements of the spatial and temporal variations of electron precipitation from the radiation belts. The RBSP mission has since been renamed the Van Allen Probes mission. Each BARREL balloon carried an X-ray spectrometer to measure the bremsstrahlung X-rays produced by precipitating relativistic electrons as they collide with neutrals in the atmosphere, and a DC magnetometer to measure ULF-timescale variations of the magnetic field. BARREL observations collected near latitudes close to either the antarctic and arctic circles at stratospheric altitudes at about 30 km. The BARREL instrumentation provided the first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation while comprehensive in situ measurements of both plasma waves and energetic particles were available. Also, the BARREL data has been used to characterize the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies.

The initial pair of balloon campaigns that were conducted initially during the Austral summer months of January and February of 2013 and 2014 with launches from two stations located in Antarctica: the British base located at Halley Bay on the Brunt Ice Shelf and the South African SANAE IV base (SANAE stand for South African National Antarctic Expedition) located in Vesleskarvet, Queen Maud Land. For the 2013 and 2014 the balloon campaigns, the launch plan was designed to maintain an array with about five payloads spread across about six hours of magnetic local time, MLT, in the region that magnetically maps to the radiation belts. Thus, the BARREL balloon constellation constituted an evolving and slowly moving array able to study relativistic electron precipitation from the radiation belts.

Later campaigns were undertaken in 2015 and 2016 from the Esrange Space Center located in Kiruna, Sweden. The 2015 and 2016 campaigns were undertaken in coordination with the Van Allen Probes mission, the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association, EISCAT, incoherent scatter radar system, and other ground and space based instruments. Seven balloon launches occurred during the August 2015 BARREL campaign. A total of eight flights occurred during August 2016.

Summing over the four BARREL campaigns, over 50 small, approximately 20 kg, stratospheric balloons were successively launched. The website creeated and hosted by A.J. Halford (see Information URL below) reports that: "By the end of the campaigns, there were over 90 researchers coordinating on a daily basis with the BARREL team working on 7 different satellite missions, 1 other balloon mission, and way too many ground based instruments to count." Although the BARREL mission launched only balloons during the years from 2013 to 2016, research using data collected on these flights is ongoing, so stay tuned for updates! All data and analysis software are freely available to the scientific community.

The information listed above in this resource description was compiled by referencing several BARREL related resources including primarily the Millan et al. (2013) Space Science Reviews publication, the BARREL at Dartmouth mission web site, and the website maintained by A.J. Halford.

The current release of all BARREL CDF data products are Version 10 files.

BARREL will make all its scientific data products quickly and publicly available but all users are expected to read and follow the BARREL Data Usage Policy listed below.

BARREL Data Usage Policy

BARREL data products are made freely available to the public and every effort is made to ensure that these products are of the highest quality. However, there may occasionally be issues with either the instruments or data processing that affect the accuracy of data. When possible, a quality flag is included in higher level data products, and known issues are posted in the BARREL data repository. You are also strongly encouraged to follow the guidelines below if you are planning a publication or presentation in which BARREL data are used. This will help you ensure that your science results are valid.

  • Users should always use the highest version numbers of data and analysis tools. Browse/quick-look plots are not intended for science analysis or publication and should not be used for those purposes without consent of the principal investigator, PI.
  • Users should notify the BARREL PI of the data use and investigation objectives. This will ensure that you are using the data appropriately and have the most recent version of the data or analysis routines. Additionally, if a BARREL team member is already working on a similar or related topic, they may be able to contribute intellectually.
  • If BARREL team members are not part of the author list, then users should Credit/Acknowledge the BARREL team as follows: We acknowledge the BARREL team (PI: Robyn Millan) for use of BARREL data.
  • Users are also requested to provide the PI with a copy of each manuscript that uses BARREL data upon submission of that manuscript for consideration of publication. On publication, the citation should be transmitted to the PI.

The BARREL PI can be contacted at: Robyn.Millan@dartmouth.edu.

An online copy of the BARREL Data Usage Policy document can be found at: https://barrel.rmillan.host.dartmouth.edu/documents/data.use.policy.pdf.

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Details

Version:2.4.0

NumericalData

ResourceID
spase://NASA/NumericalData/BARREL/2A/Ephemeris/L2/PT4S
ResourceHeader
ResourceName
BARREL 2A Ephemeris (EPHM) Geographic and Magnetic Coordinates, Level 2, 4 s Data
DOI
https://doi.org/10.48322/k17v-zh58
ReleaseDate
2022-05-11 12:34:56.789
RevisionHistory
RevisionEvent
ReleaseDate
2021-03-29 12:34:56.789
Note
Last prior known metadata Release Date
RevisionEvent
ReleaseDate
2022-04-16 12:34:56.789
Note
BARREL: DOI and PublicationInfo added, metadata revised by LFB on 2022-04-16, reviewed by TAK
RevisionEvent
ReleaseDate
2022-05-11 12:34:56.789
Note
BARREL: Campaign_and_launches.txt InformationURL added, typo fixed, metadata revised by LFB on 2022-05-11
Description

Geographic and Magnetic Coordinates: The ephemeris data products, which include the balloon epoch time, latitude, longitude, and altitude, are each returned from the payload once every 4s. Geographic coordinates are obtained from an onboard Global Positioning System, GPS, unit. Magnetic coordinates are derived by using the International Radiation Belt Environment Modeling, IRBEM, FORTRAN library.

The BARREL Mission was a multiple-balloon investigation designed to study electron losses from Earth's Radiation Belts. Selected as a NASA Living with a Star Mission of Opportunity, BARREL was designed to augment the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, RBSP, mission by providing measurements of the spatial and temporal variations of electron precipitation from the radiation belts. The RBSP mission has since been renamed the Van Allen Probes mission. Each BARREL balloon carried an X-ray spectrometer to measure the bremsstrahlung X-rays produced by precipitating relativistic electrons as they collide with neutrals in the atmosphere, and a DC magnetometer to measure ULF-timescale variations of the magnetic field. BARREL observations collected near latitudes close to either the antarctic and arctic circles at stratospheric altitudes at about 30 km. The BARREL instrumentation provided the first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation while comprehensive in situ measurements of both plasma waves and energetic particles were available. Also, the BARREL data has been used to characterize the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies.

The initial pair of balloon campaigns that were conducted initially during the Austral summer months of January and February of 2013 and 2014 with launches from two stations located in Antarctica: the British base located at Halley Bay on the Brunt Ice Shelf and the South African SANAE IV base (SANAE stand for South African National Antarctic Expedition) located in Vesleskarvet, Queen Maud Land. For the 2013 and 2014 the balloon campaigns, the launch plan was designed to maintain an array with about five payloads spread across about six hours of magnetic local time, MLT, in the region that magnetically maps to the radiation belts. Thus, the BARREL balloon constellation constituted an evolving and slowly moving array able to study relativistic electron precipitation from the radiation belts.

Later campaigns were undertaken in 2015 and 2016 from the Esrange Space Center located in Kiruna, Sweden. The 2015 and 2016 campaigns were undertaken in coordination with the Van Allen Probes mission, the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association, EISCAT, incoherent scatter radar system, and other ground and space based instruments. Seven balloon launches occurred during the August 2015 BARREL campaign. A total of eight flights occurred during August 2016.

Summing over the four BARREL campaigns, over 50 small, approximately 20 kg, stratospheric balloons were successively launched. The website creeated and hosted by A.J. Halford (see Information URL below) reports that: "By the end of the campaigns, there were over 90 researchers coordinating on a daily basis with the BARREL team working on 7 different satellite missions, 1 other balloon mission, and way too many ground based instruments to count." Although the BARREL mission launched only balloons during the years from 2013 to 2016, research using data collected on these flights is ongoing, so stay tuned for updates! All data and analysis software are freely available to the scientific community.

The information listed above in this resource description was compiled by referencing several BARREL related resources including primarily the Millan et al. (2013) Space Science Reviews publication, the BARREL at Dartmouth mission web site, and the website maintained by A.J. Halford.

The current release of all BARREL CDF data products are Version 10 files.

BARREL will make all its scientific data products quickly and publicly available but all users are expected to read and follow the BARREL Data Usage Policy listed below.

BARREL Data Usage Policy

BARREL data products are made freely available to the public and every effort is made to ensure that these products are of the highest quality. However, there may occasionally be issues with either the instruments or data processing that affect the accuracy of data. When possible, a quality flag is included in higher level data products, and known issues are posted in the BARREL data repository. You are also strongly encouraged to follow the guidelines below if you are planning a publication or presentation in which BARREL data are used. This will help you ensure that your science results are valid.

  • Users should always use the highest version numbers of data and analysis tools. Browse/quick-look plots are not intended for science analysis or publication and should not be used for those purposes without consent of the principal investigator, PI.
  • Users should notify the BARREL PI of the data use and investigation objectives. This will ensure that you are using the data appropriately and have the most recent version of the data or analysis routines. Additionally, if a BARREL team member is already working on a similar or related topic, they may be able to contribute intellectually.
  • If BARREL team members are not part of the author list, then users should Credit/Acknowledge the BARREL team as follows: We acknowledge the BARREL team (PI: Robyn Millan) for use of BARREL data.
  • Users are also requested to provide the PI with a copy of each manuscript that uses BARREL data upon submission of that manuscript for consideration of publication. On publication, the citation should be transmitted to the PI.

The BARREL PI can be contacted at: Robyn.Millan@dartmouth.edu.

An online copy of the BARREL Data Usage Policy document can be found at: https://barrel.rmillan.host.dartmouth.edu/documents/data.use.policy.pdf.

Acknowledgement
Please acknowledge the Principal Investigator R. Millan for use of the Data. BARREL will make all its scientific data products quickly and publicly available but all users are expected to read and follow the "BARREL Mission Data Usage Policy" which can be found here: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~barrel/documents/data.use.policy.pdf.
PublicationInfo
Authors
Millan, Robyn M.; Woodger, Leslie A.; McCarthy, Michael P.; Sample, John G.; Smith, David M.; and Warren Z. Rexroad
PublicationDate
2021-01-01 00:00:00
PublishedBy
NASA Space Physics Data Facility
Contacts
RolePersonStartDateStopDateNote
1.PrincipalInvestigatorspase://SMWG/Person/Robyn.Millan
2.CoPIspase://SMWG/Person/Leslie.Anita.Woodger
3.CoPIspase://SMWG/Person/Michael.P.McCarthy
4.CoPIspase://SMWG/Person/John.G.Sample
5.CoPIspase://SMWG/Person/David.M.Smith
6.TechnicalContactspase://SMWG/Person/Warren.Z.Rexroad
7.MetadataContactspase://SMWG/Person/Robert.M.Candey
8.MetadataContactspase://SMWG/Person/Lee.Frost.Bargatze
InformationURL
Name
BARREL Mission Home Website, Dartmouth College
URL
Description

The Balloon Array for Radiation Belt Relativistic Electron Losses, BARREL, Mission official website with embedded links to mission overview, data, news & events, and publications. Hosted by Dartmouth College

Language
en
InformationURL
Name
The BARREL Mission overview publication
URL
Description

Balloon Array for Radiation Belt Relativistic Electron Losses, BARREL, Space Science Reviews overview publication: Millan, R.M., McCarthy, M.P., Sample, J.G., Smith, D.M., Thompson, L.D., McGaw, D.G., Woodger, L.A., Hewitt, J.G., Comess, M.D., Yando, K.B., Liang, A.X., Anderson, B.A., Knezek, N.R., Rexroad, W.Z., Scheiman, J.M., Bowers, G.S., Halford, A.J., Collier, A.B., Clilverd, M.A., Lin, R.P., and M.K. Hudson, The Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL). Space Sci. Rev., 179, 503-530 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-013-9971-z

Language
en
InformationURL
Name
BARREL Data Usage Policy
URL
Description

BARREL Mission Data Usage Policy PDF

Language
en
InformationURL
Name
BARREL Balloon Campaign Information
URL
Description

Annotated BARREL campaign information with balloon release locations along with dates and times of balloon launch and termination of data acquisition. Text file provided by Warren Rexroad

Language
en
InformationURL
Name
BARREL Mission website created and hosted by A.J. Halford
URL
Description

The A.J. Halford BARREL Mission overview website covering the years from 2013 to 2016. The site hosts a list of BARREL related publications, an informative BARREL slideshow, and a youtube video that expounds on the BARREL balloon campaign strategy and goals.

Language
en
InformationURL
Name
BARREL Mission Status Update Blog
URL
Description

The BARREL Mission status update blog entitled: BARREL - Radiation Belt Science with Balloons. This blog offers offers status reports and links to frequently asked questions, FAQ, page as well as links to two other blogs: the BARREL Dedicated Science Blog and the KeV Blog that list also balloon status reports. All of these blogs document events that occurred during BARREL balloon launch campaigns that took place from late 2012 until the summer of 2016.

Language
en
InformationURL
Name
NASA BARREL Mission Website
URL
Description

The NASA Balloon Array for Radiation Belt Relativistic Electron Losses, BARREL, Mission website with links to a BARREL Mission Overview as well as mission related images, videos, and BARREL related NASA news releases amd media resources.

Language
en
InformationURL
Name
IRBEM Library User Guide Website
URL
Description

The International Radiation Belt Environment Modeling, IRBEM, website lists information on how to use the IRBEM fortran library, which was formerly known as the ONERA-DESP library. IRBEM software package can be used to compute magnetic coordinates for any location within the terrestrial magnetic field, to calculate the locus of points defining drift shells, to perform coordinate and time format transformations, to evaluate geophysics/space-physics models, and to propagate orbits in time. All of this functionality can be performed by using various external magnetic field models.

Language
en
InformationURL
Name
PRBEM IRBEM GitHub Website
URL
Description

The COSPAR Pannel on Radiation Belt Environment Modeling, PRBEM, International Radiation Belt Environment Modeling, IRBEM, GitHub Website. The site provide access to all components of the IRBEM Library and it is freely distributed under the umbrella of the PRBEM COSPAR panel.

Language
en
AccessInformation
RepositoryID
Availability
Online
AccessRights
Open
AccessURL
Name
FTPS from SPDF (not with most browsers)
URL
Description

Access to Data in CDF Format via ftps from SPDF

AccessURL
Name
HTTPS from SPDF
URL
Description

Access to Data in CDF Format via https from SPDF

AccessURL
Name
CDAWeb
URL
ProductKey
BAR_2A_L2_EPHM
Description

Access to ASCII, CDF, and Plots via NASA/GSFC CDAWeb

Format
CDF
Encoding
None
Acknowledgement
Please acknowledge the Principal Investigator R. Millan. Please acknowledge the Data Providers and CDAWeb when using these Data.
ProcessingLevel
Calibrated
InstrumentIDs
MeasurementType
Ephemeris
MeasurementType
InstrumentStatus
TemporalDescription
TimeSpan
StartDate
2014-01-16 14:31:15
StopDate
2014-02-04 17:14:47
Cadence
PT4S
ObservedRegion
Earth.NearSurface.AuroralRegion
ObservedRegion
Earth.NearSurface.Mesosphere
ObservedRegion
Earth.NearSurface.PolarCap
ObservedRegion
Earth.NearSurface.Stratosphere
Parameter #1
Name
Epoch Time
ParameterKey
Epoch
Description

Epoch, Default Time

Caveats
This Parameter exhibits an increasing Monotonic Progression
Units
ns
UnitsConversion
1.0e-9>s
RenderingHints
AxisLabel
Epoch
ScaleType
LinearScale
ValidMin
2009-09-19T00:00:05.978849280
ValidMax
2019-10-15T09:04:54.724999936
FillValue
9999-12-31T23:59:59.999999999
Support
SupportQuantity
Temporal
Parameter #2
Name
Epoch Time Error
Set
Time series defined by using: Epoch
ParameterKey
Epoch_Error
Description

Epoch Time Error, the Difference between calculated Epoch Timestamp and a simple linear model of the time series

Cadence
PT4S
UnitsConversion
1.0e-3>s
RenderingHints
DisplayType
TimeSeries
ValueFormat
I8
ScaleType
LinearScale
ValidMin
-86400000
ValidMax
86400000
FillValue
-2147483648
Support
Qualifier
Deviation
SupportQuantity
Temporal
Parameter #3
Name
DPU Frame Number
Set
Time series defined by using: Epoch
ParameterKey
FrameGroup
Description

Data Processing Unit, DPU, Frame Counter

Cadence
PT4S
RenderingHints
DisplayType
TimeSeries
AxisLabel
Frame
ValueFormat
I10
ScaleType
LinearScale
ValidMin
0
ValidMax
4294967294
FillValue
4294967295
Support
SupportQuantity
InstrumentMode
Parameter #4
Name
Data Quality Flag
Set
Time series defined by using: Epoch
ParameterKey
Quality
Description

Data Quality Flag, a flag value equal to 0 denotes no issues

Caveats
32 bit flag used to indicate data quality. Bit 0=Low altitude, below 20 km, Bit 1=No GPS, Bit 2=External ephemeris used, Bit 3=Gain shift.
Cadence
PT4S
RenderingHints
DisplayType
TimeSeries
AxisLabel
Q
ValueFormat
I10
ScaleType
LinearScale
ValidMin
0
ValidMax
4294967294
FillValue
4294967295
Support
SupportQuantity
DataQuality
Parameter #5
Name
GPS Latitude
Set
Time series defined by using: Epoch
ParameterKey
GPS_Lat
Description

Global Positioning System, GPS, Latitude, degrees North

Caveats
Converted from raw int value by multiplying by a scaling factor: 8.38190317154*10^-8
Cadence
PT4S
Units
°
UnitsConversion
0.0174532925>rad
CoordinateSystem
CoordinateRepresentation
Spherical
CoordinateSystemName
GEO
RenderingHints
DisplayType
TimeSeries
AxisLabel
Lat
ValueFormat
F7.3
ScaleType
LinearScale
ValidMin
-90.0
ValidMax
90.0
FillValue
-1.0e+31
Support
SupportQuantity
Positional
Parameter #6
Name
GPS Longitude
Set
Time series defined by using: Epoch
ParameterKey
GPS_Lon
Description

Global Positioning System, GPS, Longitude, degrees East

Caveats
Converted from raw int value by multiplying by a scaling factor: 8.38190317154*10^-8
Cadence
PT4S
Units
°
UnitsConversion
0.0174532925>rad
CoordinateSystem
CoordinateRepresentation
Spherical
CoordinateSystemName
GEO
RenderingHints
DisplayType
TimeSeries
AxisLabel
Long
ValueFormat
F8.3
ScaleType
LinearScale
ValidMin
-180.0
ValidMax
180.0
FillValue
-1.0e+31
Support
SupportQuantity
Positional
Parameter #7
Name
GPS Altitude
Set
Time series defined by using: Epoch
ParameterKey
GPS_Alt
Description

Global Positioning System, GPS, Altitude

Cadence
PT4S
Units
km
UnitsConversion
1.0e3>m
CoordinateSystem
CoordinateRepresentation
Spherical
CoordinateSystemName
GEO
RenderingHints
DisplayType
TimeSeries
AxisLabel
Alt
ValueFormat
F6.3
ScaleType
LinearScale
ValidMin
0.0
ValidMax
50.0
FillValue
-1.0e+31
Support
SupportQuantity
Positional
Parameter #8
Name
MLT for Kp=2, T89C
Set
Time series defined by using: Epoch
ParameterKey
MLT_Kp2_T89c
Description

Magnetic Local Time, MLT, for Kp=2 in hours using Tsyganenko 89C, T89C

Caveats
Calculated using T89c model with the IRBEM FORTRAN library
Cadence
PT4S
Units
h
UnitsConversion
0.2617993877>rad
RenderingHints
DisplayType
TimeSeries
AxisLabel
MLT_Kp2
ValueFormat
F5.2
ScaleType
LinearScale
ValidMin
0.0
ValidMax
24.0
FillValue
-1.0e+31
Support
SupportQuantity
Positional
Parameter #9
Name
MLT for Kp=6, T89C
Set
Time series defined by using: Epoch
ParameterKey
MLT_Kp6_T89c
Description

Magnetic Local Time, MLT, for Kp=6 in hours using Tsyganenko 89C, T89C

Caveats
Calculated using T89c model with the IRBEM FORTRAN library
Cadence
PT4S
Units
h
UnitsConversion
0.2617993877>rad
RenderingHints
DisplayType
TimeSeries
AxisLabel
MLT_Kp6
ValueFormat
F5.2
ScaleType
LinearScale
ValidMin
0.0
ValidMax
24.0
FillValue
-1.0e+31
Support
SupportQuantity
Positional
Parameter #10
Name
Balloon L-Shell for Kp=2, T89C
Set
Time series defined by using: Epoch
ParameterKey
L_Kp2
Description

Balloon L-Shell Location for Kp=2 using Tsyganenko 89C, T89C

Caveats
Calculated using T89c model with the IRBEM FORTRAN library
Cadence
PT4S
RenderingHints
DisplayType
TimeSeries
AxisLabel
L_Kp2_T89c
ValueFormat
F8.3
ScaleType
LinearScale
ValidMin
0.0
ValidMax
1000.0
FillValue
-1.0e+31
Support
SupportQuantity
Positional
Parameter #11
Name
Balloon L-Shell for Kp=6, T89C
Set
Time series defined by using: Epoch
ParameterKey
L_Kp6
Description

Balloon L-Shell Location for Kp=6 using Tsyganenko 89C, T89C

Caveats
Calculated using T89c model with the IRBEM FORTRAN library
Cadence
PT4S
RenderingHints
DisplayType
TimeSeries
AxisLabel
L_Kp6_T89c
ValueFormat
F8.3
ScaleType
LinearScale
ValidMin
0.0
ValidMax
1000.0
FillValue
-1.0e+31
Support
SupportQuantity
Positional