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Research facility · Edinburgh · United Kingdom

UK Astronomy Technology Centre

In research, UK Astronomy Technology Centre stands highest in Physical Sciences (#3,713 of 12,888 worldwide) and Physics and Astronomy (#1,065 of 1,646 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Astronomy and Astrophysics and Physics and Astronomy — Astronomy and Astrophysics is 72.0× its share of world research.

stfc.ukri.org/about-us/where-we-work/royal-observatory-edinburgh/uk-astronomy-technology-centreROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#6,595
of 28,054 · #4,208 all time
Rank in United Kingdom
#260
of 1,094
Research works
743
▼ 18% vs 2013–17
Citations
27k
36.7 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
29.7%
record average 16.5%
Open access
60%
world 28%

What is UK Astronomy Technology Centre known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #3,713 of 12,888 30.6%89 #2602
Physics and AstronomyField #1,065 of 1,646 36.2%60 #1079

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where UK Astronomy Technology Centre 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 UK Astronomy Technology Centre specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Astronomy and Astrophysics takes 72.0× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield · 36.0 works72×
  2. Physics and AstronomyField · 60.2 works28×
← 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…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.35× its world share, 2 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.07× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.43× its world share, 1 worksNeuroscienceChemical Engineering: 0.30× its world share, 0 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 1.30× its world share, 2 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.21× its world share, 2 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 1.49× its world share, 2 worksEarth and Planetary …Engineering: 1.36× its world share, 20 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.29× its world share, 1 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.34× its world share, 1 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.56× its world share, 1 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 28.13× its world share, 60 worksPhysics and AstronomyMedicine: 0.15× its world share, 3 worksMedicineArts and Humanities: 0.12× its world share, 0 worksArts and HumanitiesDecision Sciences: 0.18× its world share, 0 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.36× its world share, 1 worksEconomics, Econometr…Social Sciences: 0.02× 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, 28.1×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at UK Astronomy Technology Centre?

Ranked on the composite score, T. R. Greve, W. D. Taylor and J. S. Greaves lead among researchers whose main affiliation is UK Astronomy Technology Centre.

  1. 1 T. R. Greve United Kingdom · #69,417 worldwide 618 citations · 65 works
  2. 2 W. D. Taylor United Kingdom · #86,584 worldwide 202 citations · 38 works
  3. 3 J. S. Greaves United Kingdom · #127,237 worldwide 360 citations · 50 works
  4. 4 Ian Bryson United Kingdom · #150,841 worldwide 99 citations · 26 works
  5. 5 W. S. Holland United Kingdom · #208,559 worldwide 206 citations · 37 works
  6. 6 Alistair Glasse United Kingdom · #221,146 worldwide 180 citations · 49 works
  7. 7 A. D. Biggs United Kingdom · #224,579 worldwide 110 citations · 23 works
  8. 8 O. A. González United Kingdom · #234,172 worldwide 219 citations · 47 works
  9. 9 Gillian Wright United Kingdom · #294,222 worldwide 169 citations · 49 works
  10. 10 H. A. Brück United Kingdom · #294,475 worldwide 91 citations · 17 works
All ranked researchers at UK Astronomy Technology Centre

Which keywords describe research at UK Astronomy Technology Centre?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Star Formation, Black Holes, Astronomical Instrumentation, Spectrograph, Dark Matter, Cosmology, Galaxies and Stellar Populations.

▲ 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 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. Star Formation12▲ 233×2 topics
  2. Black Holes10▲ 113×3 topics
  3. Astronomical Instrumentation9▲ 356×1 topic
  4. Spectrograph9▲ 356×1 topic
  5. Dark Matter8▲ 77×4 topics
  6. Cosmology8▲ 125×4 topics
  7. Galaxies7▲ 281×1 topic
  8. Stellar Populations7▲ 281×1 topic
  9. Exoplanets7▲ 188×1 topic
  10. Stellar Astrophysics7▲ 188×1 topic
  11. Accretion Disks6▲ 143×2 topics
  12. Magnetic Fields6▲ 104×2 topics
  13. Adaptive Optics6▲ 499×1 topic
  14. Wavefront Sensing6▲ 499×1 topic
  15. Supernovae5▲ 61×2 topics
  16. Molecular Clouds4▲ 181×1 topic
  17. Protoplanetary Disks4▲ 181×1 topic
  18. Gravitational Waves4▲ 66×2 topics
  19. General Relativity3▲ 44×2 topics
  20. Radio Astronomy3▲ 135×2 topics
  21. Cosmological Parameters3▲ 53×1 topic
  22. Dark Energy3▲ 45×1 topic
  23. Epoch of Reionization3▲ 222×1 topic
  24. Low-Frequency Telescopes3▲ 222×1 topic
  25. Galactic Center2▲ 59×2 topics
  26. Cosmic Rays2▲ 50×2 topics
  27. Neutrinos2▲ 50×2 topics
  28. Nucleosynthesis2▲ 51×3 topics
  29. X-Ray Spectroscopy2▲ 52×2 topics
  30. Event Horizon Telescope2▲ 100×1 topic
  31. X-Ray Astronomy2▲ 100×1 topic
  32. Gamma-Ray Bursts2▲ 80×1 topic
  33. High-Energy Astrophysics2▲ 77×1 topic
  34. Neutron Stars2▲ 80×1 topic
  35. Particle Acceleration2▲ 77×1 topic
  36. Solar System Abundances2▲ 44×1 topic
  37. Terrestrial Planets2▲ 44×1 topic
  38. Optical 3D Laser Measurement2▲ 172×1 topic
  39. Position-Sensitive Detector2▲ 172×1 topic
  40. Structural Health Monitoring2▲ 26×2 topics

Which research topics does UK Astronomy Technology Centre publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Astronomy and Astrophysical Research, Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena, Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies and Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing.

Astronomy and Astrophysical Research: 9 fractional worksGalaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena: 7 fractional worksStellar, planetary, and galactic studies: 7 fractional worksAdaptive optics and wavefront sensing: 6 fractional worksAstrophysics and Star Formation Studies: 4 fractional worksCosmology and Gravitatio…3Cosmology and Gravitation Theories: 3 fractional worksRadio Astronomy Observations and Technology: 3 fractional worksAstrophysical Phenomena and Observations: 2 fractional worksAstrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena: 2 fractional worksAstro and Planetary Science: 2 fractional works
InstrumentationAstronomy and AstrophysicsAtomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsNuclear and High Energy Physics

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

  1. 1 Astronomy and Astrophysical Research Instrumentation 9 works
  2. 2 Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena Astronomy and Astrophysics 7 works
  3. 3 Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies Astronomy and Astrophysics 7 works
  4. 4 Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics 6 works
  5. 5 Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies Astronomy and Astrophysics 4 works
  6. 6 Cosmology and Gravitation Theories Astronomy and Astrophysics 3 works
  7. 7 Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology Astronomy and Astrophysics 3 works
  8. 8 Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations Astronomy and Astrophysics 2 works
  9. 9 Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena Nuclear and High Energy Physics 2 works
  10. 10 Astro and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics 2 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 available59.7%not open40.3%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors52.6%domestic only47.4%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has UK Astronomy Technology Centre's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 18% 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 Edinburgh

All research institutions in Edinburgh

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.