Heliophysics

RBSP

1,427 tracked publications and 38,792 citations from 2012–2026. Van Allen Probes. Launched 2012. Life-cycle cost: $1.0B in 2025 dollars. Active Mission Window November 1, 2012 to November 1, 2021: 895 publications, 106 top-10% credit.

In-Situ Probe · h-index 82 · 56 papers with 100+ citations · prime mission ended 2015

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 November 1, 2012 to November 1, 2021
Tracked publicationsTracked publications: peer-reviewed research papers we found for the mission. The list may not be complete. Methods895
CitationsCitations received by the tracked publications in the selected scope. The two windowed scopes count each paper’s citations only within its citation window. Methods13,164
Mean citations per publicationMean citations: total citations divided by tracked publications in the selected scope. One blockbuster paper can lift it. Methods15
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. Methods15 (1.7%)
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. Methods106 · 7.3% 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. Methods18 · 13% 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. Methods82
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. Methods139
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. Methods5.5
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. Methods62
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. Methods526

Tracked publications

  1. The Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) on RBSP

    Kletzing, C. A., 2013, SSRv

    1,104 citations

  2. Science Objectives and Rationale for the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission

    Mauk, B. H., 2013, SSRv

    987 citations

  3. Rapid local acceleration of relativistic radiation-belt electrons by magnetospheric chorus

    Thorne, R. M., 2013, Natur

    726 citations

  4. The Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) Instruments Aboard the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Spacecraft

    Blake, J. B., 2013, SSRv

    571 citations

  5. Science Goals and Overview of the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Energetic Particle, Composition, and Thermal Plasma (ECT) Suite on NASA's Van Allen Probes Mission

    Spence, H. E., 2013, SSRv

    524 citations

  6. Electron Acceleration in the Heart of the Van Allen Radiation Belts

    Reeves, G. D., 2013, Sci

    517 citations

  7. Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron (HOPE) Mass Spectrometer for the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission

    Funsten, H. O., 2013, SSRv

    487 citations

  8. The Electric Field and Waves Instruments on the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission

    Wygant, J. R., 2013, SSRv

    475 citations

  9. Electron densities inferred from plasma wave spectra obtained by the Waves instrument on Van Allen Probes

    Kurth, W. S., 2015, JGRA

    474 citations

  10. The Relativistic Electron-Proton Telescope (REPT) Instrument on Board the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Spacecraft: Characterization of Earth's Radiation Belt High-Energy Particle Populations

    Baker, D. N., 2013, SSRv

    389 citations

  11. Effect of EMIC waves on relativistic and ultrarelativistic electron populations: Ground-based and Van Allen Probes observations

    Usanova, M. E., 2014, GeoRL

    330 citations

  12. Source and seed populations for relativistic electrons: Their roles in radiation belt changes

    Jaynes, A. N., 2015, JGRA

    275 citations

  13. Earth's Van Allen Radiation Belts: From Discovery to the Van Allen Probes Era

    Li, W., 2019, JGRA

    243 citations

  14. The occurrence and wave properties of H⁺-, He⁺-, and O⁺-band EMIC waves observed by the Van Allen Probes

    Saikin, A. A., 2015, JGRA

    229 citations

  15. Radiation belt electron acceleration by chorus waves during the 17 March 2013 storm

    Li, W., 2014, JGRA

    215 citations

  16. Resonant scattering and resultant pitch angle evolution of relativistic electrons by plasmaspheric hiss

    Ni, Binbin, 2013, JGRA

    213 citations

  17. Statistical properties of plasmaspheric hiss derived from Van Allen Probes data and their effects on radiation belt electron dynamics

    Li, W., 2015, JGRA

    207 citations

  18. Energy-dependent dynamics of keV to MeV electrons in the inner zone, outer zone, and slot regions

    Reeves, Geoffrey D., 2016, JGRA

    176 citations

  19. An impenetrable barrier to ultrarelativistic electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts

    Baker, D. N., 2014, Natur

    173 citations

  20. Constructing the global distribution of chorus wave intensity using measurements of electrons by the POES satellites and waves by the Van Allen Probes

    Li, W., 2013, GeoRL

    172 citations

How we found these papers

We searched NASA’s Astrophysics Data System (ADS) for peer-reviewed articles naming RBSP 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:"Van Allen Probes" OR =abs:"Van Allen Probe" OR =abs:"Radiation Belt Storm Probes" OR (abs:RBSP AND abs:(ECT OR EMFISIS OR EFW OR RBSPICE OR MagEIS OR REPT OR magnetic OR plasma OR "radiation belt" OR mission)))) AND property:refereed AND doctype:article AND pubdate:[2012-11 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 (4)

  1. Rapid local acceleration of relativistic radiation-belt electrons by magnetospheric chorus Van Allen Probes discovery of rapid electron acceleration by chorus waves. Decision 🤖
  2. An impenetrable barrier to ultrarelativistic electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts Van Allen Probes discovery of a barrier to ultrarelativistic electrons. Decision 🤖
  3. Global-scale coherence modulation of radiation-belt electron loss from plasmaspheric hiss Van Allen Probes and BARREL discovery of coherent hiss-driven electron loss. Decision 🤖
  4. The Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) and Space Weather Describes the Van Allen Probes real-time space weather data broadcast and products. Decision 🤖

Removed after review (16)

  1. 2012GMS...199..415H Review of earlier plasma wave observations; does not name the Van Allen Probes. Decision 🤖
  2. 2014JGRA..119.6455W THEMIS bow shock methods paper; does not name the Van Allen Probes. Decision 🤖
  3. 2014JGRA..119.6475W THEMIS bow shock study; does not name the Van Allen Probes. Decision 🤖
  4. 2019GeoRL..46.1947D Ground and POES wave study; does not name the Van Allen Probes. Decision 🤖
  5. 2019GeoRL..46.4098G THEMIS chorus wave statistics; does not name the Van Allen Probes. Decision 🤖
  6. 2020JGRA..12528487P PROBA-V radiation belt study; does not name the Van Allen Probes. Decision 🤖
  7. Design and Instrument Characterization of the High-Energy Resolution Relativistic Electron Telescope (HERT) Using Geant4 Simulation Design of a CubeSat electron telescope; mentions the Van Allen Probes only as context. Decision 🤖
  8. Heliophysics Great Observatories and international cooperation in Heliophysics: An orchestrated framework for scientific advancement and discovery Proposal for a future heliophysics program; lists the Van Allen Probes among past missions. Decision 🤖
  9. The Medium Energy Electron Telescope (MEET): Geant4-Based Instrument Design and Analysis Design of a proposed electron telescope; mentions the Van Allen Probes only as motivation. Decision 🤖
  10. The Relativistic Electron Magnetic Spectrometer (REMS) Instrument Describes the REMS instrument for the GTOSat mission; not a Van Allen Probes paper. Decision 🤖
  11. Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Education and Public Outreach Program Describes the mission's education and public outreach program; not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  12. The Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL) Overview of the BARREL balloon mission; a companion mission, not the Van Allen Probes. Decision 🤖
  13. 2013SSRv..179..309M Erratum to an instrument paper; not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  14. 2013SSRv..179....1F Preface to a journal special issue; not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  15. On the Challenges of Measuring Energetic Particles in the Inner Belt: A Geant4 Simulation of an Energetic Particle Detector Instrument, REPTile-2 Design of the REPTile-2 telescope for another CubeSat; mentions the Van Allen Probes as a predecessor. Decision 🤖
  16. The ELFIN Mission Overview of the ELFIN CubeSat mission; mentions the Van Allen Probes only as a concurrent mission. Decision 🤖