Heliophysics

AIM

157 tracked publications and 3,303 citations from 2009–2026. Aeronomy of Ice in Mesosphere. Launched 2007. Life-cycle cost: $234M in 2025 dollars. Active Mission Window June 1, 2007 to January 1, 2024: 143 publications, 3 top-10% credit.

Remote Sensing Observatory · h-index 32 · 3 papers with 100+ citations · prime mission ended 2009

Lifetime

Scope Papers published from the first full month after science operations begin through 2 years after the mission ends. Citations are counted through the third calendar year after each paper appears. Methods Papers published from the first full month after science operations begin through 2 years after the prime mission ends. Citations are counted through the third calendar year after each paper appears. Methods Every tracked publication to date, with every citation to date. Methods

Key measures

Active Mission Window · papers June 1, 2007 to January 1, 2024
Tracked publicationsTracked publications: peer-reviewed research papers we found for the mission. The list may not be complete. Methods143
CitationsCitations received by the tracked publications in the selected scope. The two windowed scopes count each paper’s citations only within its citation window. Methods1,205
Mean citations per publicationMean citations: total citations divided by tracked publications in the selected scope. One blockbuster paper can lift it. Methods8.4
Median citations per publicationMedian citations: the middle paper’s citation count in the selected scope; half the papers have more, half fewer. A single blockbuster sways it less than the mean. Methods7
Uncited publicationsUncited publications: papers with no citations in the selected scope. Methods6 (4.2%)
Top-10% creditTop 10%: among the 10% most-cited papers from this division’s missions, ranked against papers published around the same time. A paper naming several missions is split evenly among the missions in this division that claim it, so counts can be fractional. Methods3 · 0.21% of division
Top-1% creditTop 1%: among the 1% most-cited papers from this division’s missions within the selected window. Not adjusted for publication year. A paper naming several missions is split evenly among the missions in this division that claim it, so counts can be fractional. Methods0 · 0% of division
Lifetime indices · every tracked publication to date, in any scope
h-indexh-index: the largest h such that h papers have at least h citations each. It only grows with time, so older missions score higher. Methods32
g-indexg-index: the largest g for which the g most-cited papers together hold at least g² citations. Like the h-index, but it lets the most-cited papers count for more. Methods47
m-index, as of October 4, 2026m-index: a mission’s h-index divided by the years since its first peer-reviewed paper. It falls every 1 January even when nothing else changes, so it belongs to the date shown; it also discounts the long operating life that larger missions paid for. Methods1.8
toritori (total research impact, from ADS): for every paper citing one of the mission’s papers, 1 divided by the citing paper’s reference count times the cited paper’s author count, summed, with self-citations removed. It favors citations from papers with short reference lists and from outside the mission’s own authors. Computed over the tracked citation graph, which can be slightly incomplete. Methods7.9
riqriq (research impact quotient): 1,000 times the square root of tori, divided by the years since the mission’s first paper. A rate, not a total, so it does not keep growing with age the way the h-index and tori do. Methods156

Tracked publications

  1. The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) mission: Overview and early science results

    Russell, James M., III, 2009, JASTP

    182 citations

  2. The solar occultation for ice experiment

    Gordley, Larry L., 2009, JASTP

    122 citations

  3. High-altitude data assimilation system experiments for the northern summer mesosphere season of 2007

    Eckermann, Stephen D., 2009, JASTP

    106 citations

  4. Interpretation of SOFIE PMC measurements: Cloud identification and derivation of mass density, particle shape, and particle size

    Hervig, Mark E., 2009, JASTP

    84 citations

  5. The cloud imaging and particle size experiment on the Aeronomy of Ice in the mesosphere mission: Instrument concept, design, calibration, and on-orbit performance

    McClintock, W. E., 2009, JASTP

    82 citations

  6. First Satellite Observations of Meteoric Smoke in the Middle Atmosphere

    Hervig, Mark E., 2009, GeoRL

    77 citations

  7. Satellite observations of ozone in the upper mesosphere

    Smith, A. K., 2013, JGRD

    77 citations

  8. Relationships between polar mesospheric clouds, temperature, and water vapor from Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment (SOFIE) observations

    Hervig, Mark E., 2009, JGRD

    69 citations

  9. The content and composition of meteoric smoke in mesospheric ice particles from SOFIE observations

    Hervig, Mark E., 2012, JASTP

    66 citations

  10. Retrieval of polar mesospheric cloud properties from CIPS: Algorithm description, error analysis and cloud detection sensitivity

    Lumpe, J. D., 2013, JASTP

    66 citations

  11. Phase functions of polar mesospheric cloud ice as observed by the CIPS instrument on the AIM satellite

    Bailey, Scott M., 2009, JASTP

    64 citations

  12. The cloud imaging and particle size experiment on the aeronomy of ice in the mesosphere mission: Cloud morphology for the northern 2007 season

    Rusch, D. W., 2009, JASTP

    58 citations

  13. Polar mesospheric cloud structures observed from the cloud imaging and particle size experiment on the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere spacecraft: Atmospheric gravity waves as drivers for longitudinal variability in polar mesospheric cloud occurrence

    Chandran, A., 2010, JGRD

    57 citations

  14. Intra-seasonal variability of polar mesospheric clouds due to inter-hemispheric coupling

    Karlsson, B., 2009, GeoRL

    56 citations

  15. Decadal variability in PMCs and implications for changing temperature and water vapor in the upper mesosphere

    Hervig, Mark E., 2016, JGRD

    48 citations

  16. Gravity wave observations in the summertime polar mesosphere from the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) experiment on the AIM spacecraft

    Chandran, A., 2009, JASTP

    45 citations

  17. Seasonal variation of the quasi 5 day planetary wave: Causes and consequences for polar mesospheric cloud variability in 2007

    Nielsen, K., 2010, JGRD

    43 citations

  18. A multi tracer analysis of thermosphere to stratosphere descent triggered by the 2013 Stratospheric Sudden Warming

    Bailey, S. M., 2014, GeoRL

    43 citations

  19. Comparison of polar mesospheric cloud measurements from the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size experiment and the solar backscatter ultraviolet instrument in 2007

    Benze, Susanne, 2009, JASTP

    41 citations

  20. Numerical simulations of the three-dimensional distribution of polar mesospheric clouds and comparisons with Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) experiment and the Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment (SOFIE) observations

    Bardeen, C. G., 2010, JGRD

    41 citations

How we found these papers

We searched NASA’s Astrophysics Data System (ADS) for peer-reviewed articles naming AIM in the title, abstract or keywords; standard filters drop articles that are not peer-reviewed and magazine pieces. SciX is ADS’s current interface.

((=abs:"Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere" OR =abs:"Cloud Imaging and Particle Size" OR =abs:"Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment" OR (abs:CIPS AND (abs:(mesosphere OR noctilucent) OR =abs:"gravity wave" OR =abs:"gravity waves")) OR (abs:SOFIE AND (abs:(mesosphere OR stratosphere OR thermosphere OR occultation OR meteoric) OR =abs:"middle atmospheric" OR =abs:"middle atmosphere")) OR (abs:AIM AND (abs:noctilucent OR =abs:"polar mesospheric") AND abs:(satellite OR spacecraft)))) AND property:refereed AND doctype:article AND pubdate:[2007-06 TO 2040-01] AND NOT bibstem:("A&R" OR "AIASJ" OR "AeAm" OR "AirSp" OR "AsNow" OR "AsUAI" OR "AvWST" OR "C&E" OR "C&T" OR "CAPJ" OR "E&S" OR "ENews" OR "IrAJ" OR "JCos" OR "JRASC" OR "LAstr" OR "MNSSA" OR "Met" OR "NewSc" OR "Orion" OR "PhT" OR "PhTea" OR "PhuZ" OR "PhyOJ" OR "PhyW" OR "PlR" OR "SciAm" OR "SpFl" OR "ZemVs")

Open in SciX

Added after review (15)

  1. High precision refraction measurements by solar imaging during occultation: results from SOFIE Atmospheric refraction measurements from SOFIE solar occultation imaging. Decision 🤖
  2. Tidally induced variations of polar mesospheric cloud altitudes and ice water content using a data assimilation system Tidal variations of polar mesospheric clouds studied with AIM observations and data assimilation. Decision 🤖
  3. Retrieval of temperature and pressure using broadband solar occultation: SOFIE approach and results Temperature and pressure retrieval method and results from SOFIE solar occultation. Decision 🤖
  4. Validation of middle-atmospheric campaign-based water vapour measured by the ground-based microwave radiometer MIAWARA-C Validates a ground-based water vapour radiometer against SOFIE measurements. Decision 🤖
  5. A multi tracer analysis of thermosphere to stratosphere descent triggered by the 2013 Stratospheric Sudden Warming SOFIE observations of thermosphere-to-stratosphere descent after the 2013 sudden warming. Decision 🤖
  6. Gravity wave activity during recent stratospheric sudden warming events from SOFIE temperature measurements Gravity wave activity during sudden stratospheric warmings from SOFIE temperatures. Decision 🤖
  7. Is a high-altitude meteorological analysis necessary to simulate thermosphere-stratosphere coupling? Tests model simulations of mesospheric descent against SOFIE data. Decision 🤖
  8. Meteoric smoke and H₂SO₄ aerosols in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere Meteoric smoke and sulphuric acid aerosols measured by SOFIE. Decision 🤖
  9. Relative Importance of Nitric Oxide Physical Drivers in the Lower Thermosphere Drivers of lower-thermosphere nitric oxide from SOFIE and SNOE observations. Decision 🤖
  10. Constraints on Meteoric Smoke Composition and Meteoric Influx Using SOFIE Observations With Models Meteoric smoke composition and influx constrained with SOFIE observations. Decision 🤖
  11. Validation of water vapor measured by SABER on the TIMED satellite Validates SABER water vapour using SOFIE as a comparison dataset. Decision 🤖
  12. AIM CIPS PMC tracking wind product retrieval approach and first assessment Wind product retrieved by tracking clouds in AIM CIPS images. Decision 🤖
  13. New Global Meteoric Smoke Observations From SOFIE: Insight Regarding Chemical Composition, Meteoric Influx, and Hemispheric Asymmetry New global meteoric smoke observations from SOFIE. Decision 🤖
  14. Trends in the polar summer mesosphere temperature and pressure altitude from satellite observations Polar summer mesosphere temperature trends combining HALOE, SABER and SOFIE data. Decision 🤖
  15. Decadal and Annual Variations in Meteoric Flux From Ulysses, Wind, and SOFIE Observations Meteoric flux variations from Ulysses, Wind and SOFIE observations. Decision 🤖