BARREL: An LWS Geospace Mission of Opportunity

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

BARREL (Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses) is a multiple-balloon investigation that will study electron losses from Earth's Van Allen Radiation Belts. Atmospheric losses of relativistic electrons play an important role in radiation belt dynamics; precipitation into the atmosphere may even completely deplete the radiation belts during the main phase of some geomagnetic storms. BARREL is the first Living with a Star Geospace Mission of Opportunity, and will support NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission.
BARREL will consist of two Antarctic balloon campaigns conducted during the Austral summers of 2012 and 2013. During each campaign, a total of 20 small ( 20 kg) balloon payloads will be launched to an altitude of 30-35 km to maintain an array of 5-8 payloads extending across up to 8 hours of magnetic local time for 40 days. Each balloon will carry a NaI scintillator to measure the bremsstrahlung X-rays produced by precipitating relativistic electrons as they collide with neutrals in Earth's atmosphere. We present an overview of the BARREL investigation which will provide the first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation while in situ measurements of both plasma waves and energetic particle distributions are available.

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