Heliophysics

MMS

1,428 tracked publications and 32,114 citations from 2015–2026. Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission. Launched 2015. Life-cycle cost: $1.7B in 2025 dollars. Active Mission Window October 1, 2015 to January 1, 2024: 1,029 publications, 123 top-10% credit.

Constellation · h-index 70 · 30 papers with 100+ citations · prime mission ended 2017

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 October 1, 2015 to January 1, 2024
Tracked publicationsTracked publications: peer-reviewed research papers we found for the mission. The list may not be complete. Methods1,029
CitationsCitations received by the tracked publications in the selected scope. The two windowed scopes count each paper’s citations only within its citation window. Methods14,804
Mean citations per publicationMean citations: total citations divided by tracked publications in the selected scope. One blockbuster paper can lift it. Methods14
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. Methods10
Uncited publicationsUncited publications: papers with no citations in the selected scope. Methods23 (2.2%)
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. Methods123 · 8.5% 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. Methods12 · 8.2% 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. Methods70
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. Methods127
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. Methods5.8
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. Methods45
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. Methods559

Tracked publications

  1. Magnetospheric Multiscale Overview and Science Objectives

    Burch, J. L., 2016, SSRv

    1,468 citations

  2. Fast Plasma Investigation for Magnetospheric Multiscale

    Pollock, C., 2016, SSRv

    1,304 citations

  3. The Magnetospheric Multiscale Magnetometers

    Russell, C. T., 2016, SSRv

    1,208 citations

  4. The Spin-Plane Double Probe Electric Field Instrument for MMS

    Lindqvist, P.-A., 2016, SSRv

    702 citations

  5. Electron-scale measurements of magnetic reconnection in space

    Burch, J. L., 2016, Sci

    642 citations

  6. The Axial Double Probe and Fields Signal Processing for the MMS Mission

    Ergun, R. E., 2016, SSRv

    637 citations

  7. The FIELDS Instrument Suite on MMS: Scientific Objectives, Measurements, and Data Products

    Torbert, R. B., 2016, SSRv

    453 citations

  8. Electron-scale dynamics of the diffusion region during symmetric magnetic reconnection in space

    Torbert, R. B., 2018, Sci

    299 citations

  9. The Search-Coil Magnetometer for MMS

    Le Contel, O., 2016, SSRv

    265 citations

  10. Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

    Young, D. T., 2016, SSRv

    199 citations

  11. Magnetospheric Multiscale Science Mission Profile and Operations

    Fuselier, S. A., 2016, SSRv

    159 citations

  12. Magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause: Advances with MMS

    Burch, J. L., 2016, GeoRL

    156 citations

  13. Magnetic Reconnection in the Space Sciences: Past, Present, and Future

    Hesse, M., 2020, JGRA

    144 citations

  14. The Fly's Eye Energetic Particle Spectrometer (FEEPS) Sensors for the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission

    Blake, J. B., 2016, SSRv

    142 citations

  15. Magnetospheric Multiscale observations of magnetic reconnection associated with Kelvin-Helmholtz waves

    Eriksson, S., 2016, GeoRL

    138 citations

  16. Particle Dynamics in the Earth's Radiation Belts: Review of Current Research and Open Questions

    Ripoll, J.-F., 2020, JGRA

    135 citations

  17. The Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) Investigation and the Energetic Ion Spectrometer (EIS) for the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission

    Mauk, B. H., 2016, SSRv

    128 citations

  18. Lower hybrid waves in the ion diffusion and magnetospheric inflow regions

    Graham, D. B., 2017, JGRA

    121 citations

  19. Observations of kinetic-size magnetic holes in the magnetosheath

    Yao, S. T., 2017, JGRA

    119 citations

  20. Rippled Quasiperpendicular Shock Observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Spacecraft

    Johlander, A., 2016, PhRvL

    117 citations

How we found these papers

We searched NASA’s Astrophysics Data System (ADS) for peer-reviewed articles naming MMS 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:"Magnetospheric Multiscale" OR =abs:"Magnetospheric Multi-scale" OR (abs:MMS AND abs:(magnetos* OR magnetopause OR magnetotail OR "magnetic reconnection" OR "plasma sheet" OR "current sheet" OR "bow shock" OR "solar wind" OR whistler OR chorus)))) AND property:refereed AND doctype:article AND pubdate:[2015-10 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 (6)

  1. Cold ion demagnetization near the X-line of magnetic reconnection MMS observations of cold-ion demagnetization near a reconnection X-line. Decision 🤖
  2. On the electron agyrotropy during rapid asymmetric magnetic island coalescence in presence of a guide field Study of electron agyrotropy in asymmetric reconnection, listed in the MMS mission bibliography. Decision 🤖
  3. Two-scale ion meandering caused by the polarization electric field during asymmetric reconnection Ion behaviour in asymmetric reconnection, comparing simulations with MMS observations. Decision 🤖
  4. Strong current sheet at a magnetosheath jet: Kinetic structure and electron acceleration MMS observations of a strong current sheet in a magnetosheath jet. Decision 🤖
  5. Mission Oriented Support and Theory (MOST) for MMS—the Goddard Space Flight Center/University of California Los Angeles Interdisciplinary Science Program Simulations and virtual instruments built to predict MMS reconnection signatures. Decision 🤖
  6. Magnetospheric Multiscale Instrument Suite Operations and Data System Describes MMS science operations and the data system. Decision 🤖

Removed after review (20)

  1. The "Puck" energetic charged particle detector: Design, heritage, and advancements Design history of an energetic particle detector; names MMS only as a host mission. Decision 🤖
  2. The physics of space weather/solar-terrestrial physics (STP): what we know now and what the current and future challenges are Space weather review; mentions MMS only as a future data source. Decision 🤖
  3. 2015JGRA..120.9355B Simulation or theory study of magnetic reconnection; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  4. 2015PhPl...22l2106R Plasma wave theory study; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  5. 2016GeoRL..43.1828B Simulation or theory study of magnetic reconnection; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  6. 2016GeoRL..43.2405C Simulation or theory study of magnetic reconnection; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  7. 2016GeoRL..43.4145S Simulation or theory study of magnetic reconnection; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  8. 2016GeoRL..43.6005A Simulation of a 2008 substorm; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  9. 2016JGRA..121.2104W Simulation or theory study of magnetic reconnection; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  10. 2016JGRA..121.4279S Reconstruction method tested on simulated data; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  11. 2016JPlPh..82d5301A Simulation or theory study of magnetic reconnection; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  12. 2016PhPl...23b2114W Simulation or theory study of magnetic reconnection; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  13. 2016PhPl...23e2902I Magnetotail wave simulation compared with Cluster data; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  14. 2016PhPl...23f0704L Simulation or theory study of magnetic reconnection; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  15. 2016PhPl...23j2102Z Simulation or theory study of magnetic reconnection; does not name MMS. Decision 🤖
  16. Education and Communication for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission Describes the mission's education and outreach program; not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  17. 2016SSRv..199..307T Erratum to an instrument paper; not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  18. 2016SSRv..199....1B Preface to a journal topical collection; not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  19. The ELFIN Mission Overview of the ELFIN CubeSat mission; not an MMS paper. Decision 🤖
  20. The TRACERS Fluxgate Magnetometer (MAG) Instrument description of the TRACERS magnetometer; a different mission. Decision 🤖