Atomic Processes and Their Role in Astrophysical Phenomena

A special issue of Atoms (ISSN 2218-2004).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 33

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
Interests: spectroscopy; astrophysics; stars; atomic physics; line broadening

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Our understanding of the Universe depends strongly on our knowledge of and ability to interpret astrophysical spectra. The light we observe from astrophysical objects contains information about their fundamental physical properties, such as their radial velocity, temperature, rotation, gravity, magnetic fields, and composition. Extracting this information requires detailed atomic theory, which accurately predicts how both structure and emergent flux are influenced by a wide range of quantum atomic processes. The impact of atomic physics can propagate out and affect large-scale astrophysics.

This Special Issue explores how atomic physics is important to conducting astrophysics research and examines current challenges at the intersection of these two fields. One of the most important quantities generated by atomic processes that is used in astrophysics is opacity. This Special Issue aims to include opacity and its effects on radiation and energy transport, line broadening as diagnostics, how the astrophysical environment modifies atomic structure, populations, and spectra, and how improved atomic data (energy levels and oscillator strengths) becomes essential for detailed spectral analysis. In addition to current research, topical reviews and tutorials will be welcome.

Dr. Thomas Gomez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atoms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop