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Research facility · Stellenbosch · South Africa

iThemba Laboratory

In research, iThemba Laboratory stands highest in Physical Sciences (#8,980 of 10,670 worldwide), 2022-now.

tlabs.ac.zaROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022-now
#19,807
of 22,385 · #15,018 all time
Rank in South Africa
#67
of 75
Research works
683
▲ 12% vs 2018-21
Citations
11k
15.8 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
9.0%
all institutions 10.0%
vs its own fields
0.96×
1.00× is exactly expected
Open access
28%
world 40%
International
42%
world 18%
iThemba Laboratory

What is iThemba Laboratory known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022-now, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #8,980 of 10,670 7.7%65 #7769

Each strip is that field's whole ranked pool, with the notch where iThemba Laboratory 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 average mark, because the average differs by field (from about 6% in Dentistry to 21% in Economics).

Which fields of science does iThemba Laboratory work in?

In 2022-now, 81% of research at iThemba Laboratory is in Physical Sciences, 8% in Health Sciences. Its largest fields are Materials Science (26%), Physics and Astronomy (20%), Engineering (20%). It does 2.0× the world's share of Physical Sciences.

Physical Sciences: 72 fractional works · 81.1% of its workMaterials Science: 23 fractional works · 26.0% of its workMaterials Chemistry: 13 fractional works · 14.9% of its workPolymers and Plastics: 5 fractional works · 6.2% of its workElectronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials: 2 fractional works · 2.6% of its workBiomaterials: 1 fractional works · 0.9% of its workSurfaces, Coatings and Films: 1 fractional works · 0.8% of its workCeramics and Composites: 1 fractional works · 0.6% of its workPhysics and Astronomy: 18 fractional works · 20.0% of its workNuclear and High Energy Physics: 8 fractional works · 9.4% of its workRadiation: 7 fractional works · 7.3% of its workAtomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics: 2 fractional works · 2.0% of its workAstronomy and Astrophysics: 1 fractional works · 0.9% of its workStatistical and Nonlinear Physics: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workCondensed Matter Physics: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workEngineering: 18 fractional works · 19.9% of its workElectrical and Electronic Engineering: 7 fractional works · 7.8% of its workBiomedical Engineering: 3 fractional works · 3.9% of its workAerospace Engineering: 2 fractional works · 2.4% of its workComputational Mechanics: 2 fractional works · 2.1% of its workMechanical Engineering: 1 fractional works · 1.5% of its workSafety, Risk, Reliability and Quality: 1 fractional works · 0.9% of its workAutomotive Engineering: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workMechanics of Materials: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workOcean Engineering: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workEnvironmental Science: 7 fractional works · 8.3% of its workEcology: 2 fractional works · 2.0% of its workGlobal and Planetary Change: 1 fractional works · 1.5% of its workWater Science and Technology: 1 fractional works · 1.5% of its workEnvironmental Engineering: 1 fractional works · 1.0% of its workNature and Landscape Conservation: 1 fractional works · 0.8% of its workHealth, Toxicology and Mutagenesis: 0 fractional works · 0.5% of its workPollution: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workEnvironmental Chemistry: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workChemistry: 2 fractional works · 2.6% of its workSpectroscopy: 1 fractional works · 1.0% of its workOrganic Chemistry: 1 fractional works · 0.8% of its workInorganic Chemistry: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workElectrochemistry: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workEarth and Planetary Sciences: 2 fractional works · 2.4% of its workGeochemistry and Petrology: 1 fractional works · 0.6% of its workGeophysics: 0 fractional works · 0.5% of its workAtmospheric Science: 0 fractional works · 0.5% of its workPaleontology: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workEnergy: 1 fractional works · 0.8% of its workRenewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment: 1 fractional works · 0.6% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workComputer Science: 1 fractional works · 0.6% of its workArtificial Intelligence: 1 fractional works · 0.6% of its workChemical Engineering: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workMathematics: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workHealth Sciences: 7 fractional works · 7.7% of its workMedicine: 5 fractional works · 5.2% of its workRadiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging: 2 fractional works · 1.8% of its workPulmonary and Respiratory Medicine: 1 fractional works · 1.5% of its workComplementary and alternative medicine: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workDermatology: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workOncology: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workHepatology: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.7% of its workHealth Professions: 2 fractional works · 2.3% of its workRadiological and Ultrasound Technology: 2 fractional works · 1.9% of its workGeneral Health Professions: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workVeterinary: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workNursing: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workLife Sciences: 6 fractional works · 6.4% of its workAgricultural and Biological Sciences: 3 fractional works · 3.3% of its workPlant Science: 2 fractional works · 2.0% of its workForestry: 1 fractional works · 0.9% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 2 fractional works · 2.8% of its workMolecular Biology: 2 fractional works · 1.8% of its workGenetics: 0 fractional works · 0.5% of its workCancer Research: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workNeuroscience: 0 fractional works · 0.2% of its workImmunology and Microbiology: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0 fractional works · 0.0% of its workSocial Sciences: 4 fractional works · 4.9% of its workSocial Sciences: 3 fractional works · 3.1% of its workArcheology: 1 fractional works · 0.9% of its workAnthropology: 1 fractional works · 0.9% of its workEducation: 1 fractional works · 0.7% of its workSafety Research: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.5% of its workPsychology: 1 fractional works · 1.2% of its workSocial Psychology: 0 fractional works · 0.5% of its workClinical Psychology: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workApplied Psychology: 0 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.0% of its workBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0 fractional works · 0.4% of its workArts and Humanities: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workALL ITS WORKiThembaLaboratory89fractional works, 2022-now
Life Sciences6%Physical Sciences81%Health Sciences8%Social Sciences5%

Each ring splits the one inside it: the four domains of science, their fields, their subfields. Size is fractional works in 2022-now. Every slice is a page; the interactive view zooms down to single topics and colours each by how much more of it this institution does than the world.

Its 4 domains and 24 fields, with their numbers
    1. Materials Science2326.0%
    2. Physics and Astronomy1820.0%
    3. Engineering1819.9%
    4. Environmental Science78.3%
    5. Chemistry22.6%
    6. Earth and Planetary Sciences22.4%
    7. Energy10.8%
    8. Computer Science10.6%
    9. Chemical Engineering00.3%
    10. Mathematics00.1%
    1. Medicine55.2%
    2. Health Professions22.3%
    3. Veterinary00.1%
    4. Nursing00.1%
    1. Agricultural and Biological Sciences33.3%
    2. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology22.8%
    3. Neuroscience00.2%
    4. Immunology and Microbiology00.1%
    5. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics00.0%
    1. Social Sciences33.1%
    2. Psychology11.2%
    3. Business, Management and Accounting00.4%
    4. Arts and Humanities00.1%
    5. Economics, Econometrics and Finance00.1%
All of science, and how each field's share has moved since 1950: the Science domain explorer

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: 0.69× its world share, 3 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.52× its world share, 2 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.13× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.10× its world share, 0 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.10× its world share, 0 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 0.84× its world share, 0 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 1.68× its world share, 2 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.07× its world share, 0 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 1.54× its world share, 2 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.92× its world share, 1 worksEnergyEngineering: 1.32× its world share, 18 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 1.67× its world share, 7 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 7.45× its world share, 23 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.11× its world share, 0 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 9.00× its world share, 18 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.86× its world share, 2 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.27× its world share, 5 worksMedicineNursing: 0.15× its world share, 0 worksNursingVeterinary: 0.92× its world share, 0 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 0.05× its world share, 0 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.12× its world share, 0 worksBusiness, Management…Economics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.02× its world share, 0 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.38× its world share, 1 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.25× its world share, 3 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 9.0×. Every wedge is a field page.

All 24 fields, with their numbers
  1. Physics and Astronomy9.00×18 works
  2. Materials Science7.45×23 works
  3. Chemistry1.68×2 works
  4. Environmental Science1.67×7 works
  5. Earth and Planetary Sciences1.54×2 works
  6. Engineering1.32×18 works
  7. Energy0.92×1 works
  8. Veterinary0.92×0 works
  9. Health Professions0.86×2 works
  10. Chemical Engineering0.84×0 works
  11. Agricultural and Biological Sciences0.69×3 works
  12. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology0.52×2 works
  13. Psychology0.38×1 works
  14. Medicine0.27×5 works
  15. Social Sciences0.25×3 works
  16. Nursing0.15×0 works
  17. Immunology and Microbiology0.13×0 works
  18. Business, Management and Accounting0.12×0 works
  19. Mathematics0.11×0 works
  20. Neuroscience0.10×0 works
  21. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics0.10×0 works
  22. Computer Science0.07×0 works
  23. Arts and Humanities0.05×0 works
  24. Economics, Econometrics and Finance0.02×0 works

Who are the top researchers at iThemba Laboratory?

Ranked on the quality score, Stephan M Woodborne, R. Pretoriüs and Timothy Marais lead among researchers whose main affiliation is iThemba Laboratory.

  1. 1 Stephan M Woodborne South Africa · #1,788,667 worldwide 2.7k citations · 165 works
  2. 2 R. Pretoriüs South Africa · #2,134,120 worldwide 2.5k citations · 105 works
  3. 3 Timothy Marais South Africa · #2,803,071 worldwide 329 citations · 15 works
  4. 4 Charlot Vandevoorde South Africa · #2,808,006 worldwide 1.2k citations · 69 works
  5. 5 Dan T. L. Jones South Africa · #2,818,758 worldwide 1.3k citations · 38 works
  6. 6 Philip Beukes South Africa · #2,872,636 worldwide 624 citations · 31 works
  7. 7 D. M. Whittal South Africa · #3,306,889 worldwide 683 citations · 31 works
  8. 8 Pieter van Schalkwyk South Africa · #3,418,200 worldwide 213 citations · 16 works
  9. 9 C.L. Churms South Africa · #3,428,810 worldwide 607 citations · 29 works
  10. 10 F. D. Smit South Africa · #3,438,695 worldwide 1.2k citations · 85 works
All ranked researchers at iThemba Laboratory

What are the most cited papers from iThemba Laboratory?

The most cited paper from iThemba Laboratory is "Organ motion and its management" (K Langen, D. T. L. Jones, 2001), with 951 citations. Next come "Elliptic Flow of Charged Particles in Pb-Pb Collisions at s N N = 2.76 TeV" (887) and "Higher Harmonic Anisotropic Flow Measurements of Charged Particles in Pb-Pb Collisions at s N N = 2.76 TeV" (655).

Most cited papers
#PaperReleasedCitations
1 Organ motion and its management K Langen, D. T. L. Jones · International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics May 2001 951
2 Elliptic Flow of Charged Particles in Pb-Pb Collisions at s N N = 2.76 TeV Kenneth Aamodt et al. · Physical Review Letters Open access967 authors 13 Dec 2010 887
3 Higher Harmonic Anisotropic Flow Measurements of Charged Particles in Pb-Pb Collisions at s N N = 2.76 TeV Kenneth Aamodt et al. · Physical Review Letters Open access945 authors 11 Jul 2011 655
4 Centrality Dependence of the Charged-Particle Multiplicity Density at Midrapidity in Pb-Pb Collisions at sNN=2.76 TeV Kenneth Aamodt et al. · Physical Review Letters Open access919 authors 20 Jan 2011 645
5 Complete Electric Dipole Response and the Neutron Skin in Pb 208 A. Tamii et al. · Physical Review Letters Open access 3 Aug 2011 521
All 61 most cited papers, with filters and sorting

Which keywords describe research at iThemba Laboratory?

By fractional works in 2022-now, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Nanocomposites, Graphene, Nucleosynthesis, Raman Spectroscopy, Crystal Growth, Biomedical Applications, Thermal Properties and Nanocrystals.

▲ 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-now 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 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Nanocomposites8▲ 11×15 topics
  2. Biomedical Applications5▲ 4.8×10 topics
  3. Graphene5▲ 8.5×6 topics
  4. Climate Change5▲ 1.92×28 topics
  5. Nucleosynthesis4▲ 103×3 topics
  6. Raman Spectroscopy4▲ 26×3 topics
  7. Crystal Growth4▲ 17×5 topics
  8. Thermal Properties4▲ 35×3 topics
  9. Environmental Impact4▲ 2.4×11 topics
  10. Tissue Engineering4▲ 6.7×6 topics
  11. Nanomaterials4▲ 3.8×8 topics
  12. Carbon Nanotubes3▲ 11×6 topics
  13. Nanocrystals3▲ 15×5 topics
  14. Nuclear Forces3▲ 201×1 topic
  15. Nuclear Structure3▲ 201×1 topic
  16. Data Analysis3▲ 14×2 topics
  17. Efficiency3▲ 12×4 topics
  18. Tomography3▲ 20×2 topics
  19. Nanostructures3▲ 8.5×8 topics
  20. Neutron Activation Analysis3▲ 107×1 topic
  21. Neutron Imaging3▲ 107×1 topic
  22. Small-Angle Scattering3▲ 68×2 topics
  23. Energy Storage3▲ 5.2×6 topics
  24. Toxicity3▲ 7.7×4 topics
  25. Transparent Conductors3▲ 24×2 topics
  26. Two-Dimensional Materials3▲ 13×3 topics
  27. Semiconductors3▲ 9.9×4 topics
  28. Oxidation Behavior2▲ 45×2 topics
  29. Nanofibers2▲ 13×2 topics
  30. Photovoltaics2▲ 18×3 topics
  31. Graphene Oxide2▲ 27×2 topics
  32. Ionizing Radiation2▲ 36×3 topics
  33. Microstructural Characterization2▲ 117×1 topic
  34. Nuclear Graphite2▲ 117×1 topic
  35. Chemical Vapor Deposition2▲ 33×1 topic
  36. Conducting Polymers2▲ 18×1 topic
  37. Electronic Properties2▲ 28×1 topic
  38. Polyaniline2▲ 21×1 topic
  39. Radiation Detection2▲ 52×2 topics
  40. Polymer Composites2▲ 8.4×6 topics

Which research topics does iThemba Laboratory publish most on?

By volume in 2022-now: Nuclear physics research studies, Nuclear Physics and Applications, Graphite, nuclear technology, radiation studies and Conducting polymers and applications.

Nuclear physics research…3Nuclear physics research studies: 3 fractional worksNuclear Physics and Appl…3Nuclear Physics and Applications: 3 fractional worksGraphite, nuclear techno…2Graphite, nuclear technology, radiation studies: 2 fractional worksConducting polymers and …2Conducting polymers and applications: 2 fractional worksGraphene research and applications: 2 fractional worksPerovskite Materials and Applications: 2 fractional worksRadioactivity and Radon …2Radioactivity and Radon Measurements: 2 fractional worksPolymer Nanocomposite Synthesis and Irradiation: 2 fractional worksRadiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies: 2 fractional worksSupercapacitor Materials…1Supercapacitor Materials and Fabrication: 1 fractional works
Nuclear and High Energy PhysicsRadiationMaterials ChemistryPolymers and Plastics3 others

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

  1. 1 Nuclear physics research studies Nuclear and High Energy Physics 3 works
  2. 2 Nuclear Physics and Applications Radiation 3 works
  3. 3 Graphite, nuclear technology, radiation studies Materials Chemistry 2 works
  4. 4 Conducting polymers and applications Polymers and Plastics 2 works
  5. 5 Graphene research and applications Materials Chemistry 2 works
  6. 6 Perovskite Materials and Applications Electrical and Electronic Engineering 2 works
  7. 7 Radioactivity and Radon Measurements Radiological and Ultrasound Technology 2 works
  8. 8 Polymer Nanocomposite Synthesis and Irradiation Polymers and Plastics 2 works
  9. 9 Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies Radiation 2 works
  10. 10 Supercapacitor Materials and Fabrication Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials 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 available28.5%not open71.5%

World: 40% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors41.6%domestic only58.4%

World: 18% is written across borders.

How has iThemba Laboratory's research output changed?

Output in 2022-2025 was 12% higher than in 2018-2021.

still counting1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

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

Its share of all research

Growing output can still be a shrinking share: all of science grows. This is iThemba Laboratory as a percentage of every work published that year, 0.00037% in 2024.

still counting0.0010%0.0020%0.0030%iThemba Laboratory0.00029% in 202519801990200020102020

Fractional works of iThemba Laboratory over all fractional works that year. How the balance of science has shifted.

How much of it reaches the world top 10%

Year by year, against all institutions in the same year.

5%10%15%all institutions10.0% in 2024iThemba Laboratory6.6% in 2024200020102020

Of each year's output, the share that reached the world's 10% most cited for its field and year. Peak 13.6% in 1990.

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iThemba Laboratory on Science Explorer

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