Top Cited Articles of All Time (2007 edition)

The 40 most highly cited papers of All Time (2007 edition)

Keep in mind that citation counts can never be exact, there is something like a 5% error in most of these numbers. Please do not fret about number 32 versus 33, as this is often not a statistically significant difference. More information about citations in INSPIRE can be found here.

Also note that the counts shown, and used in the rankings, are the counts as of 2016-12-31. Further, the counts shown by the ranking are only the cites satisfying the criteria for that list. Actual citation numbers in the database may change as corrections are made and papers are added, the links will take you to the updated numbers.

Annual and All-time 2007 editions

31090 core citations up to the end of 2007PDG RPP has been unified. The most recent is shown.
Review of Particle Physics
Particle Data Group (K.A. Olive (Minnesota U.) et al.). 2014. 1676 pp.
Published in Chin.Phys. C38 (2014) 090001
DOI: 10.1088/1674-1137/38/9/090001
  1. 6792 core citations up to the end of 2007
    A Model of Leptons
    Steven Weinberg (MIT, LNS). Nov 1967. 3 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev.Lett. 19 (1967) 1264-1266
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.19.1264
  2. 5467 core citations up to the end of 2007
    CP Violation in the Renormalizable Theory of Weak Interaction
    Makoto Kobayashi, Toshihide Maskawa (Kyoto U.). Feb 1973. 6 pp.
    Published in Prog.Theor.Phys. 49 (1973) 652-657
    KUNS-242
    DOI: 10.1143/PTP.49.652
  3. 5112 core citations up to the end of 2007
    The Large N limit of superconformal field theories and supergravity
    Juan Martin Maldacena (Harvard U.). Nov 1997. 21 pp.
    Published in Int.J.Theor.Phys. 38 (1999) 1113-1133, Adv.Theor.Math.Phys. 2 (1998) 231-252
    HUTP-97-A097, HUTP-98-A097
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1026654312961
    e-Print: hep-th/9711200 | PDF
  4. 3868 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Partial Symmetries of Weak Interactions
    S.L. Glashow (Copenhagen U.). 1961. 10 pp.
    Published in Nucl.Phys. 22 (1961) 579-588
    DOI: 10.1016/0029-5582(61)90469-2
  5. 3790 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Asymptotic Freedom in Parton Language
    Guido Altarelli (Ecole Normale Superieure), G. Parisi (IHES, Bures-sur-Yvette). Mar 1977. 21 pp.
    Published in Nucl.Phys. B126 (1977) 298-318
    LPTENS-77-6
    DOI: 10.1016/0550-3213(77)90384-4
  6. 3646 core citations up to the end of 2007
    A Large mass hierarchy from a small extra dimension
    Lisa Randall (Princeton U. & MIT, LNS), Raman Sundrum (Boston U.). May 1999. 9 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev.Lett. 83 (1999) 3370-3373
    MIT-CTP-2860, PUPT-1860, BUHEP-99-9
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.3370
    e-Print: hep-ph/9905221 | PDF
  7. 3632 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Weak Interactions with Lepton-Hadron Symmetry
    S.L. Glashow, J. Iliopoulos, L. Maiani (Harvard U.). 1970. 8 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev. D2 (1970) 1285-1292
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.2.1285
    Conference: C84-05-26
  8. 3481 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Anti-de Sitter space and holography
    Edward Witten (Princeton, Inst. Advanced Study). Feb 1998. 39 pp.
    Published in Adv.Theor.Math.Phys. 2 (1998) 253-291
    IASSNS-HEP-98-15
    e-Print: hep-th/9802150 | PDF
  9. 3444 core citations up to the end of 2007
    QCD and Resonance Physics. Theoretical Foundations
    Mikhail A. Shifman, A.I. Vainshtein, Valentin I. Zakharov (Moscow, ITEP). 1978. 63 pp.
    Published in Nucl.Phys. B147 (1979) 385-447
    ITEP-73-1978, ITEP-80-1978
    DOI: 10.1016/0550-3213(79)90022-1
  10. 3403 core citations up to the end of 2007
    The Hierarchy problem and new dimensions at a millimeter
    Nima Arkani-Hamed (SLAC), Savas Dimopoulos (Stanford U., Phys. Dept.), G.R. Dvali (ICTP, Trieste). Mar 1998. 16 pp.
    Published in Phys.Lett. B429 (1998) 263-272
    SLAC-PUB-7769, SU-ITP-98-13
    DOI: 10.1016/S0370-2693(98)00466-3
    e-Print: hep-ph/9803315 | PDF
  11. 3345 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Supersymmetry, Supergravity and Particle Physics
    Hans Peter Nilles (Geneva U. & CERN). Dec 1983. 399 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rept. 110 (1984) 1-162
    UGVA-DPT-1983-12-412
    DOI: 10.1016/0370-1573(84)90008-5
  12. 3316 core citations up to the end of 2007
    An Alternative to compactification
    Lisa Randall (Princeton U. & MIT, LNS), Raman Sundrum (Boston U.). Jun 1999. 10 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev.Lett. 83 (1999) 4690-4693
    MIT-CTP-2874, PUPT-1867, BUHEP-99-13
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.4690
    e-Print: hep-th/9906064 | PDF
  13. 3275 core citations up to the end of 2007
    The Search for Supersymmetry: Probing Physics Beyond the Standard Model
    Howard E. Haber (UC, Santa Cruz & SLAC), Gordon L. Kane (Michigan U.). Jan 1984. 376 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rept. 117 (1985) 75-263
    UM-HE-TH-83-17, SCIPP-85-47
    DOI: 10.1016/0370-1573(85)90051-1
  14. 3135 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Confinement of Quarks
    Kenneth G. Wilson (Cornell U., LNS). Feb 1974. 47 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev. D10 (1974) 2445-2459
    CLNS-262
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.10.2445
    Conference: C81-06-01, p.45-59 Proceedings Contributions
  15. 3076 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Gauge theory correlators from noncritical string theory
    S.S. Gubser, Igor R. Klebanov, Alexander M. Polyakov (Princeton U.). Feb 1998. 14 pp.
    Published in Phys.Lett. B428 (1998) 105-114
    PUPT-1767
    DOI: 10.1016/S0370-2693(98)00377-3
    e-Print: hep-th/9802109 | PDF
  16. 3049 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Dynamical Model of Elementary Particles Based on an Analogy with Superconductivity. 1.
    Yoichiro Nambu, G. Jona-Lasinio (Chicago U., EFI). 1961. 14 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev. 122 (1961) 345-358
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRev.122.345
  17. 3020 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Unity of All Elementary Particle Forces
    H. Georgi, S.L. Glashow (Harvard U.). Feb 1974. 4 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev.Lett. 32 (1974) 438-441
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.32.438
  18. 2958 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Evidence for oscillation of atmospheric neutrinos
    Super-Kamiokande Collaboration (Y. Fukuda (Tokyo U., ICRR) et al.). Jul 1998. 9 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev.Lett. 81 (1998) 1562-1567
    BU-98-17, ICRR-REPORT-422-98-18, UCI-98-8, KEK-PREPRINT-98-95, LSU-HEPA-5-98, UMD-98-003, SBHEP-98-5, TKU-PAP-98-06, TIT-HPE-98-09
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.1562
    e-Print: hep-ex/9807003 | PDF
  19. 2940 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Neutrino Oscillations in Matter
    L. Wolfenstein (Carnegie Mellon U.). Nov 1977. 19 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev. D17 (1978) 2369-2374
    COO-3066-102
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.17.2369
  20. 2928 core citations up to the end of 2007
    The Inflationary Universe: A Possible Solution to the Horizon and Flatness Problems
    Alan H. Guth (SLAC). Jul 1980. 32 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev. D23 (1981) 347-356
    SLAC-PUB-2576
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.23.347
  21. 2855 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Computation of the Quantum Effects Due to a Four-Dimensional Pseudoparticle
    Gerard 't Hooft (Harvard U.). Jun 1976. 59 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev. D14 (1976) 3432-3450, Erratum: Phys.Rev. D18 (1978) 2199
    PRINT-76-0551 (HARVARD)
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.18.2199.3, 10.1103/PhysRevD.14.3432
  22. 2844 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Lepton Number as the Fourth Color
    Jogesh C. Pati (Maryland U.), Abdus Salam (ICTP, Trieste & Imperial Coll., London). Jan 1974. 35 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev. D10 (1974) 275-289, Erratum: Phys.Rev. D11 (1975) 703-703
    IC-74-7
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.10.275, 10.1103/PhysRevD.11.703.2
  23. 2801 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Particle Creation by Black Holes
    S.W. Hawking (Cambridge U.). Aug 1975. 22 pp.
    Published in Commun.Math.Phys. 43 (1975) 199-220, Erratum: Commun.Math.Phys. 46 (1976) 206
    DOI: 10.1007/BF02345020
  24. 2786 core citations up to the end of 2007
    High-energy physics event generation with PYTHIA 5.7 and JETSET 7.4
    Torbjorn Sjostrand (CERN). Dec 1993. 16 pp.
    Published in Comput.Phys.Commun. 82 (1994) 74-90
    CERN-TH-7111-93
    DOI: 10.1016/0010-4655(94)90132-5
  25. 2776 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Unitary Symmetry and Leptonic Decays
    Nicola Cabibbo (CERN). Jun 1963. 3 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev.Lett. 10 (1963) 531-533
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.10.531
    Conference: C84-05-26, p.648-649
  26. 2742 core citations up to the end of 2007
    A Planar Diagram Theory for Strong Interactions
    Gerard 't Hooft (CERN). Dec 1973. 13 pp.
    Published in Nucl.Phys. B72 (1974) 461
    CERN-TH-1786
    DOI: 10.1016/0550-3213(74)90154-0
  27. 2584 core citations up to the end of 2007
    First year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) observations: Determination of cosmological parameters
    WMAP Collaboration (D.N. Spergel et al.). Feb 2003. 20 pp.
    Published in Astrophys.J.Suppl. 148 (2003) 175-194
    DOI: 10.1086/377226
    e-Print: astro-ph/0302209 | PDF
  28. 2551 core citations up to the end of 2007
    New dimensions at a millimeter to a Fermi and superstrings at a TeV
    Ignatios Antoniadis (Ecole Polytechnique), Nima Arkani-Hamed (SLAC), Savas Dimopoulos (Stanford U., Phys. Dept.), G.R. Dvali (ICTP, Trieste). Apr 1998. 12 pp.
    Published in Phys.Lett. B436 (1998) 257-263
    SLAC-PUB-7801, SU-ITP-98-28, CPTH-S608-0498, IC-98-39
    DOI: 10.1016/S0370-2693(98)00860-0
    e-Print: hep-ph/9804398 | PDF
  29. 2510 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Radiative Corrections as the Origin of Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking
    Sidney R. Coleman, Erick J. Weinberg (Harvard U.). 1973. 23 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev. D7 (1973) 1888-1910
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.7.1888
  30. 2498 core citations up to the end of 2007
    On gauge invariance and vacuum polarization
    Julian S. Schwinger (Harvard U.). 1951. 16 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev. 82 (1951) 664-679
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRev.82.664
  31. 2472 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Symmetry Breaking Through Bell-Jackiw Anomalies
    Gerard 't Hooft (Harvard U.). Mar 1976. 11 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev.Lett. 37 (1976) 8-11
    PRINT-76-0254 (HARVARD)
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.37.8
  32. 2430 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Axial vector vertex in spinor electrodynamics
    Stephen L. Adler (Princeton U.). 1969. 13 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev. 177 (1969) 2426-2438
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRev.177.2426
  33. 2427 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Regularization and Renormalization of Gauge Fields
    Gerard 't Hooft, M.J.G. Veltman (Utrecht U.). 1972. 25 pp.
    Published in Nucl.Phys. B44 (1972) 189-213
    DOI: 10.1016/0550-3213(72)90279-9
  34. 2363 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Reliable Perturbative Results for Strong Interactions?
    H.David Politzer (Harvard U.). 1973. 4 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev.Lett. 30 (1973) 1346-1349
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.30.1346
  35. 2337 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Chiral Perturbation Theory: Expansions in the Mass of the Strange Quark
    J. Gasser (Bern U.), H. Leutwyler (CERN). Jan 1984. 52 pp.
    Published in Nucl.Phys. B250 (1985) 465-516
    CERN-TH-3798
    DOI: 10.1016/0550-3213(85)90492-4
  36. 2333 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Ultraviolet Behavior of Nonabelian Gauge Theories
    David J. Gross, Frank Wilczek (Princeton U.). Jun 1973. 4 pp.
    Published in Phys.Rev.Lett. 30 (1973) 1343-1346
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.30.1343
  37. 2329 core citations up to the end of 2007
    String theory and noncommutative geometry
    Nathan Seiberg, Edward Witten (Princeton, Inst. Advanced Study). Aug 1999. 99 pp.
    Published in JHEP 9909 (1999) 032
    IASSNS-HEP-99-74
    DOI: 10.1088/1126-6708/1999/09/032
    e-Print: hep-th/9908142 | PDF
  38. 2304 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Chiral Perturbation Theory to One Loop
    J. Gasser (Bern U.), H. Leutwyler (CERN). Aug 1983. 92 pp.
    Published in Annals Phys. 158 (1984) 142
    CERN-TH-3689
    DOI: 10.1016/0003-4916(84)90242-2
  39. 2296 core citations up to the end of 2007
    Measurements of Omega and Lambda from 42 high redshift supernovae
    Supernova Cosmology Project Collaboration (S. Perlmutter (UC, Berkeley, CfPA) et al.). Dec 1998. 33 pp.
    Published in Astrophys.J. 517 (1999) 565-586
    LBNL-41801, LBL-41801
    DOI: 10.1086/307221
    e-Print: astro-ph/9812133 | PDF