Heliophysics

SDO

3,970 tracked publications and 107,312 citations from 2010–2026. Solar Dynamics Observatory. Launched 2010. Life-cycle cost: $1.5B in 2025 dollars. Active Mission Window June 1, 2010 to January 1, 2024: 3,108 publications, 288 top-10% credit.

Remote Sensing Observatory · h-index 116 · 151 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 June 1, 2010 to January 1, 2024
Tracked publicationsTracked publications: peer-reviewed research papers we found for the mission. The list may not be complete. Methods3,108
CitationsCitations received by the tracked publications in the selected scope. The two windowed scopes count each paper’s citations only within its citation window. Methods40,510
Mean citations per publicationMean citations: total citations divided by tracked publications in the selected scope. One blockbuster paper can lift it. Methods13
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. Methods9
Uncited publicationsUncited publications: papers with no citations in the selected scope. Methods185 (6.0%)
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. Methods288 · 20% 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. Methods30 · 21% 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. Methods116
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. Methods209
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. Methods6.8
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. Methods359
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. Methods1,115

Tracked publications

  1. The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

    Lemen, James R., 2012, SoPh

    4,694 citations

  2. The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

    Pesnell, W. Dean, 2012, SoPh

    3,424 citations

  3. The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Investigation for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

    Scherrer, P. H., 2012, SoPh

    2,442 citations

  4. Design and Ground Calibration of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Instrument on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

    Schou, J., 2012, SoPh

    2,001 citations

  5. The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Vector Magnetic Field Pipeline: SHARPs - Space-Weather HMI Active Region Patches

    Bobra, M. G., 2014, SoPh

    708 citations

  6. Coronal Mass Ejections: Observations

    Webb, David F., 2012, LRSP

    706 citations

  7. The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Vector Magnetic Field Pipeline: Overview and Performance

    Hoeksema, J. Todd, 2014, SoPh

    575 citations

  8. Alfvén Wave Solar Model (AWSoM): Coronal Heating

    van der Holst, B., 2014, ApJ

    521 citations

  9. Flare Observations

    Benz, Arnold O., 2017, LRSP

    477 citations

  10. Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO): Overview of Science Objectives, Instrument Design, Data Products, and Model Developments

    Woods, T. N., 2012, SoPh

    471 citations

  11. Initial Calibration of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

    Boerner, Paul, 2012, SoPh

    459 citations

  12. How Many CMEs Have Flux Ropes? Deciphering the Signatures of Shocks, Flux Ropes, and Prominences in Coronagraph Observations of CMEs

    Vourlidas, A., 2013, SoPh

    400 citations

  13. SDO/AIA response to coronal hole, quiet Sun, active region, and flare plasma

    O'Dwyer, B., 2010, A&A

    388 citations

  14. The Origins of Hot Plasma in the Solar Corona

    De Pontieu, B., 2011, Sci

    368 citations

  15. Solar Flare Prediction Using SDO/HMI Vector Magnetic Field Data with a Machine-learning Algorithm

    Bobra, M. G., 2015, ApJ

    364 citations

  16. Evolution of Magnetic Field and Energy in a Major Eruptive Active Region Based on SDO/HMI Observation

    Sun, Xudong, 2012, ApJ

    349 citations

  17. Differential emission measures from the regularized inversion of Hinode and SDO data

    Hannah, I. G., 2012, A&A

    337 citations

  18. VFISV: Very Fast Inversion of the Stokes Vector for the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager

    Borrero, J. M., 2011, SoPh

    330 citations

  19. Observation of an evolving magnetic flux rope before and during a solar eruption

    Zhang, Jie, 2012, NatCo

    322 citations

  20. Thermal Diagnostics with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory: A Validated Method for Differential Emission Measure Inversions

    Cheung, Mark C. M., 2015, ApJ

    314 citations

How we found these papers

We searched NASA’s Astrophysics Data System (ADS) for peer-reviewed articles naming SDO 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:"Solar Dynamics Observatory" OR =abs:"Solar Dynamic Observatory" OR =abs:"Atmospheric Imaging Assembly" OR =abs:"Atmosphere Imaging Assembly" OR =abs:"Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager" OR =abs:"Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment" OR =abs:"EUV Variability Experiment" OR ( abs:SDO AND abs:(solar OR Sun OR corona OR flare OR helioseismology) AND NOT ( abs:(subdwarf OR subdwarfs OR sdB) OR =abs:"helium star" OR =abs:"white dwarf" OR =abs:"stripped star" OR =abs:"scattered disk" OR =abs:"scattered disc" OR =abs:"mass decretion" OR =abs:"Galactic Bulge Survey" OR abs:(photovoltaic OR microgrid) OR =abs:"supply demand" OR =abs:"sustainable development objective" ) ) OR ( (abs:AIA OR abs:HMI) AND abs:(solar OR Sun OR corona OR flare OR sunspot OR photosphere OR chromosphere OR helioseismology) AND NOT (abs:(microgrid OR photovoltaic) OR =abs:"active integrated") ) OR ( abs:EVE AND abs:(solar OR Sun) AND abs:(EUV OR irradiance OR flare) AND NOT =abs:"Evaporating Exoplanets" )) OR facility:SDO OR =abs:"Atmospheric Image Assembly")) AND property:refereed AND doctype:article AND pubdate:[2010-06 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 (8)

  1. Implementation and Comparison of Acoustic Travel-Time Measurement Procedures for the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager Time - Distance Helioseismology Pipeline Travel-time measurement methods for the HMI helioseismology data pipeline. Decision 🤖
  2. Polarization Calibration of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Polarization calibration of SDO's Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. Decision 🤖
  3. Wavelength Dependence of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Instrument onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Wavelength calibration of SDO's Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. Decision 🤖
  4. Image Quality of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Image-quality calibration of SDO's Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. Decision 🤖
  5. EUV SpectroPhotometer (ESP) in Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE): Algorithms and Calibrations Algorithms and calibration of the EVE EUV SpectroPhotometer on SDO. Decision 🤖
  6. Computer Vision for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Automated feature-recognition software built to analyse SDO images. Decision 🤖
  7. Heliophysics Event Knowledgebase for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and Beyond Event catalogue and data-mining system built for SDO data. Decision 🤖
  8. Initial Calibration of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Initial photometric calibration of SDO's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly. Decision 🤖

Removed after review (3)

  1. 2005JGRA..110.1312W Results from TIMED's solar EUV instrument; does not name SDO or its instruments. Decision 🤖
  2. The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Education and Outreach (E/PO) Program: Changing Perceptions One Program at a Time Description of SDO's education and public outreach programme; not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  3. 2012SoPh..275....1F Editorial preface to a journal special issue; not a research paper. Decision 🤖