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Research facility · La Serena · Chile

Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

In research, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory stands highest in Physical Sciences (#3,030 of 21,541 worldwide), Astronomy and Astrophysics (#332 of 1,146 worldwide) and Physics and Astronomy (#1,192 of 3,663 worldwide), over all time. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Physics and Astronomy — Physics and Astronomy is 35.0× its share of world research.

noirlab.edu/public/programs/ctioROR OpenAlex
World rank, all time
#4,976
of 42,892
Rank in Chile
#9
of 141
Research works
863
◆ 1% vs 2013–17
Citations
36k
41.4 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
25.7%
record average 16.5%
Open access
59%
world 28%

What is Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, over all time, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorks
Physical SciencesDomain #3,030 of 21,541 26.2%838
Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield #332 of 1,146 29.3%460
Physics and AstronomyField #1,192 of 3,663 28.1%678
InstrumentationSubfield #90 of 135 26.5%142

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

What does Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Physics and Astronomy takes 35.0× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Physics and AstronomyField · 24.1 works35×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.10× its world share, 0 worksAgricultural and Bio…Chemistry: 0.12× its world share, 0 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.47× its world share, 1 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 3.02× its world share, 2 worksEarth and Planetary …Engineering: 0.52× its world share, 2 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.78× its world share, 1 worksEnvironmental SciencePhysics and Astronomy: 35.00× its world share, 24 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.12× its world share, 0 worksHealth ProfessionsArts and Humanities: 0.06× its world share, 0 worksArts and HumanitiesPsychology: 0.27× its world share, 0 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.01× its world share, 0 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 35.0×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory?

Ranked on the composite score, T. M. C. Abbott, A. R. Walker and R. A. Schommer lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.

  1. 1 T. M. C. Abbott Chile · #21,124 worldwide 1.1k citations · 88 works
  2. 2 A. R. Walker Chile · #28,973 worldwide 1.1k citations · 97 works
  3. 3 R. A. Schommer Chile · #30,988 worldwide 701 citations · 54 works
  4. 4 Robert Blum Chile · #49,819 worldwide 523 citations · 61 works
  5. 5 R. Chris Smith Chile · #59,491 worldwide 510 citations · 29 works
  6. 6 N. B. Suntzeff Chile · #60,119 worldwide 1.3k citations · 158 works
  7. 7 César Briceño Chile · #63,489 worldwide 741 citations · 79 works
  8. 8 A. K. Vivas Chile · #80,130 worldwide 379 citations · 41 works
  9. 9 Andreï Tokovinin Chile · #153,427 worldwide 480 citations · 108 works
  10. 10 R. C. Smith Chile · #154,632 worldwide 877 citations · 122 works
All ranked researchers at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

Which keywords describe research at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Exoplanets, Stellar Astrophysics, Star Formation, Solar System Abundances, Terrestrial Planets, Accretion Disks, Magnetic Fields and Astronomical Instrumentation.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 33 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 33 words, with their numbers
  1. Exoplanets6▲ 495×1 topic
  2. Stellar Astrophysics6▲ 495×1 topic
  3. Star Formation4▲ 247×2 topics
  4. Accretion Disks3▲ 235×2 topics
  5. Magnetic Fields3▲ 171×2 topics
  6. Solar System Abundances3▲ 229×1 topic
  7. Terrestrial Planets3▲ 229×1 topic
  8. Astronomical Instrumentation3▲ 381×1 topic
  9. Molecular Clouds3▲ 382×1 topic
  10. Protoplanetary Disks3▲ 382×1 topic
  11. Spectrograph3▲ 381×1 topic
  12. Supernovae2▲ 68×2 topics
  13. Adaptive Optics2▲ 421×1 topic
  14. Gravitational Waves2▲ 95×2 topics
  15. Wavefront Sensing2▲ 421×1 topic
  16. Black Holes2▲ 51×2 topics
  17. Gamma-Ray Bursts2▲ 187×1 topic
  18. Neutron Stars2▲ 187×1 topic
  19. Cosmology1▲ 57×2 topics
  20. Dark Matter1▲ 33×3 topics
  21. Data Assimilation1▲ 22×1 topic
  22. Ensemble Kalman Filter1▲ 35×1 topic
  23. Galaxies1▲ 125×1 topic
  24. Radio Astronomy1▲ 162×2 topics
  25. Stellar Populations1▲ 125×1 topic
  26. Earthquake Detection1▲ 161×1 topic
  27. High-Resolution Imaging1▲ 67×1 topic
  28. Machine Learning1◆ 1.03×4 topics
  29. Seismic Signals1▲ 161×1 topic
  30. Space Policy1▲ 226×1 topic
  31. Space Tourism1▲ 226×1 topic
  32. Spectroscopy1▲ 20×2 topics
  33. Transits of Venus1▲ 339×1 topic

Which research topics does Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies, Astro and Planetary Science, Astronomy and Astrophysical Research and Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies.

Stellar, planetary, and …6Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies: 6 fractional worksAstro and Planetary Science: 3 fractional worksAstronomy and Astrophysical Research: 3 fractional worksAstrophysics and Star Formation Studies: 3 fractional worksAdaptive optics and wavefront sensing: 2 fractional worksGamma-ray bursts and sup…2Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae: 2 fractional worksMeteorological Phenomena and Simulations: 1 fractional worksGalaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena: 1 fractional worksHistory and Developments in Astronomy: 1 fractional worksSeismology and Earthquake Studies: 1 fractional works
Astronomy and AstrophysicsInstrumentationAtomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsAtmospheric Science1 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies Astronomy and Astrophysics 6 works
  2. 2 Astro and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics 3 works
  3. 3 Astronomy and Astrophysical Research Instrumentation 3 works
  4. 4 Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies Astronomy and Astrophysics 3 works
  5. 5 Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics 2 works
  6. 6 Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae Astronomy and Astrophysics 2 works
  7. 7 Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations Atmospheric Science 1 works
  8. 8 Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena Astronomy and Astrophysics 1 works
  9. 9 History and Developments in Astronomy Astronomy and Astrophysics 1 works
  10. 10 Seismology and Earthquake Studies Artificial Intelligence 1 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available58.7%not open41.3%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors50.5%domestic only49.5%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 1% lower than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in La Serena

All research institutions in La Serena

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.