Heliophysics

IBEX

370 tracked publications and 14,358 citations from 2009–2026. Interstellar Boundary Explorer. Launched 2008. Life-cycle cost: $209M in 2025 dollars. Active Mission Window March 1, 2009 to January 1, 2024: 330 publications, 59 top-10% credit.

In-Situ Probe · h-index 62 · 33 papers with 100+ citations · prime mission ended 2010

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 March 1, 2009 to January 1, 2024
Tracked publicationsTracked publications: peer-reviewed research papers we found for the mission. The list may not be complete. Methods330
CitationsCitations received by the tracked publications in the selected scope. The two windowed scopes count each paper’s citations only within its citation window. Methods5,742
Mean citations per publicationMean citations: total citations divided by tracked publications in the selected scope. One blockbuster paper can lift it. Methods17
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. Methods13
Uncited publicationsUncited publications: papers with no citations in the selected scope. Methods8 (2.4%)
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. Methods59 · 4.0% 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. Methods8.7 · 6.0% 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. Methods62
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. Methods99
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. Methods3.4
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. Methods28
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. Methods295

Tracked publications

  1. Global Observations of the Interstellar Interaction from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX)

    McComas, D. J., 2009, Sci

    503 citations

  2. IBEX—Interstellar Boundary Explorer

    McComas, D. J., 2009, SSRv

    371 citations

  3. Pick-Up Ions in the Outer Heliosheath: A Possible Mechanism for the Interstellar Boundary EXplorer Ribbon

    Heerikhuisen, J., 2010, ApJ

    248 citations

  4. The Heliosphere’s Interstellar Interaction: No Bow Shock

    McComas, D. J., 2012, Sci

    248 citations

  5. Comparison of Interstellar Boundary Explorer Observations with 3D Global Heliospheric Models

    Schwadron, N. A., 2009, Sci

    245 citations

  6. The Interstellar Boundary Explorer High Energy (IBEX-Hi) Neutral Atom Imager

    Funsten, H. O., 2009, SSRv

    220 citations

  7. Structures and Spectral Variations of the Outer Heliosphere in IBEX Energetic Neutral Atom Maps

    Funsten, H. O., 2009, Sci

    215 citations

  8. The IBEX-Lo Sensor

    Fuselier, S. A., 2009, SSRv

    202 citations

  9. Local Interstellar Magnetic Field Determined from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer Ribbon

    Zirnstein, E. J., 2016, ApJ

    195 citations

  10. Microstructure of the Heliospheric Termination Shock: Implications for Energetic Neutral Atom Observations

    Zank, G. P., 2010, ApJ

    185 citations

  11. Width and Variation of the ENA Flux Ribbon Observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer

    Fuselier, S. A., 2009, Sci

    175 citations

  12. Separation of the Interstellar Boundary Explorer Ribbon from Globally Distributed Energetic Neutral Atom Flux

    Schwadron, N. A., 2011, ApJ

    175 citations

  13. Interstellar Gas Flow Parameters Derived from Interstellar Boundary Explorer-Lo Observations in 2009 and 2010: Analytical Analysis

    Möbius, E., 2012, ApJS

    172 citations

  14. Heliospheric Structure: The Bow Wave and the Hydrogen Wall

    Zank, G. P., 2013, ApJ

    168 citations

  15. Neutral Interstellar Helium Parameters Based on IBEX-Lo Observations and Test Particle Calculations

    Bzowski, M., 2012, ApJS

    159 citations

  16. Local Interstellar Medium: Six Years of Direct Sampling by IBEX

    McComas, D. J., 2015, ApJS

    157 citations

  17. Three-dimensional Kinetic-MHD Model of the Global Heliosphere with the Heliopause-surface Fitting

    Izmodenov, V. V., 2015, ApJS

    152 citations

  18. Faltering Steps Into the Galaxy: The Boundary Regions of the Heliosphere

    Zank, G. P., 2015, ARA&A

    141 citations

  19. Scatter-free Pickup Ions beyond the Heliopause as a Model for the Interstellar Boundary Explorer Ribbon

    Chalov, S. V., 2010, ApJ

    137 citations

  20. Direct Observations of Interstellar H, He, and O by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer

    Möbius, E., 2009, Sci

    135 citations

How we found these papers

We searched NASA’s Astrophysics Data System (ADS) for peer-reviewed articles naming IBEX 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:"IBEX-Hi" OR abs:"IBEX-Lo" OR abs:"Interstellar Boundary Explorer" OR (abs:IBEX AND (abs:"energetic neutral atom" OR abs:"electrostatic analyzer" OR abs:(ENA OR ENAs OR heliosphere OR heliospheric OR heliosheath OR heliopause OR interstellar OR ribbon OR "pickup ion" OR "pick-up ion" OR "solar wind" OR magnetosphere OR magnetospheric OR "bow shock" OR lunar OR Moon)))))) AND property:refereed AND doctype:article AND pubdate:[2009-03 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 (3)

  1. Lunar backscatter and neutralization of the solar wind: First observations of neutral atoms from the Moon First IBEX observations of neutral atoms from the Moon; the mission is credited in the acknowledgements. Decision 🤖
  2. The Interstellar Boundary Explorer Science Operations Center Describes the IBEX science operations center, data products and map-making process. Decision 🤖
  3. IBEX Backgrounds and Signal-to-Noise Ratio Analysis of IBEX sensor backgrounds and expected signal-to-noise performance. Decision 🤖

Removed after review (12)

  1. Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP): A New NASA Mission Overview of the IMAP mission; mentions IBEX only as a predecessor. Decision 🤖
  2. The IMAP-Lo Instrument Instrument description of IMAP-Lo; mentions IBEX only as design heritage. Decision 🤖
  3. Science and Mission Operations of the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) Describes IMAP mission operations; mentions IBEX only as a predecessor. Decision 🤖
  4. The Interstellar Mapping And Acceleration Probe High Energy (IMAP-Hi) Neutral Atom Imager Instrument description of IMAP-Hi; mentions IBEX only as design heritage. Decision 🤖
  5. The Low-Energy Neutral Imager (LENI) Concept for a new neutral-atom imager; reports no results and uses no IBEX data. Decision 🤖
  6. 2009Sci...326..971K Cassini neutral-atom imaging result; does not name IBEX. Decision 🤖
  7. 2010A&A...512A..72G Heliospheric ion model; does not name IBEX. Decision 🤖
  8. 2009SSRv..146..295Z Review of heliosphere models; does not name IBEX. Decision 🤖
  9. The Galactic Environment of the Sun: Interstellar Material Inside and Outside of the Heliosphere Review of the local interstellar medium; mentions IBEX only as a future observer. Decision 🤖
  10. STELLA—Potential European contributions to a NASA-led interstellar probe White paper for a proposed interstellar probe; names IBEX only among past missions. Decision 🤖
  11. 2009SSRv..146..353B Describes the mission's education and outreach program; not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  12. Interstellar Mapping And Acceleration Probe: The NASA IMAP Mission Overview of the IMAP mission; mentions IBEX only as heritage. Decision 🤖