The 1996 INTERBOA (Balloon Observations of Auroras) Campaign

The INTERBOA campaign is an experiment to study auroral precipitation from stratospheric balloons, in conjunction with scientific satellites. The participants in the project are:

  • Centre d'Etudes Spatiales des Rayonnements, Universite Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France,
  • University of Washington, Seattle, USA
  • Polar Geophysical Institute, Apatity, Russia
  • University of California, Berkeley, USA
  • Centre Nationale d'Etudes Spatiales, Aire/Adour, France
  • Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden

    In August, 1996, we successfully launched three balloons from Kiruna, Sweden, and gathered over 100 hours of data. The balloons carried magnetometers, electric field booms, X-ray spectrometers, geiger counters, germanium spectrometers, magnetic VLF antennas and X-ray imaging instruments to altitudes of about 35 km. All of the payloads were recovered.

    For this project, the University of Washington provided the magnetic VLF antenna and X-ray imaging cameras. These cameras use scintillating crystals and photomultiplier tubes to detect X-rays which are produced in the aurora.

    Photos of the balloons and instruments from the INTERBOA 96 campaign are available.

    Dept. of Earth and Space Sciences Homepage
    Updated Nov 2011