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February 7, 2000
Survey ranks UCSC number one in astrophysics research
By Tim Stephens
In the field of astrophysics, UCSC leads the pack in terms of the impact of its researchers
on the field, according to an independent national science group. The group ranked
UCSC number one in astrophysics among the top 100 federally funded U.S. universities.
The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), based in Philadelphia, ranked the
universities whose research papers attracted the most attention from other scholars
in each of 24 fields between 1994 and 1998. The results for astrophysics were recently
published on ISI's Web
site.
ISI's rankings are based on an analysis of scholarly citations. When researchers
publish a journal article, they must cite previous papers by other authors that set
the stage for their work. Generally, a paper garners more citations when scientists
accept the work as important and well done. ISI analysts consider the average number
of citations per paper, or the "citation impact," as the most objective
way to gauge the quality of a department's or an institution's research.
"This is an interesting ranking in that it's a measure of the impact of published
research on the field--not how many papers you've published, but how often other
scientists refer to your papers," said Joseph Miller, director of UC
Observatories/Lick Observatory.
ISI previously ranked UCSC's astrophysicists second in citation impact for the period
1993 to 1997. In the latest rankings, UCSC has displaced Princeton University from
the top slot. Other notable institutions that trail UCSC in the latest rankings include
Yale University, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, and the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology.
UCSC's faculty includes leading researchers on both the observational and theoretical
sides of astronomy and astrophysics. Research areas in which UCSC is especially strong
include the study of galaxies; cosmology, which is concerned with the structure and
evolution of the universe; the formation of stars and planets, including the discovery
of planets outside the solar system; and high-energy phenomena such as supernovae
and gamma ray bursts.
"We have been doing good research in some very exciting areas, so it's not too
surprising that we're getting this recognition," said Stanford Woosley, professor
and chair of astronomy and astrophysics
at UCSC.
UCSC astronomers are also involved in the design and construction of major telescopes
and other instruments, Woosley noted. UCSC astronomers have been integrally involved
in the design, construction, and use of the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii since
the project's inception. The observatory houses the world's largest optical and infrared
telescopes, the twin Keck I and Keck II Telescopes. UCSC astronomers are also among
the leading users of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Headquartered on the UCSC campus is UC Observatories/Lick Observatory, the multicampus
research unit that oversees the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton and UC's involvement
in the Keck Observatory. The Lick Observatory, established in 1888, continues to
be a major astronomical research facility and is heavily used by UCSC astronomers.
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