Announcements

Date: 23 September 2025
Time: 11:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m
Location: The Chelsea Hotel, 33 Gerrard Street West, Toronto

MDPI is thrilled to announce our participation in the University of Toronto’s largest career fair, taking place at the St. George Downtown Campus. This exciting event brings together thousands of students, graduates, and professionals looking to connect with top employers and explore career opportunities.

We invite all attendees to visit the MDPI booth to discover how you can be part of one of the world’s leading open access academic publishers. Whether you are passionate about scientific research, editorial work, marketing, or supporting global innovation in publishing, we want to meet YOU!

What to expect at our booth:

• Learn more about MDPI’s mission and global impact;
• Explore exciting career opportunities in publishing, editorial, communications, and more;
• Network with our team and ask questions about working at MDPI.

Whether you’re just starting your career or looking to take the next step, don’t miss this opportunity to connect with MDPI. Bring your resume, your curiosity, and your questions—we look forward to seeing you there!

For additional information on the Career Fair and Open MDPI positions, please visit the following links:

• Learn more about the U of T Career Fair;
• Explore Careers with MDPI Canada.

Conference: International Symposium Commemorating the 40^th Anniversary of the Halo Nuclei
Date: 12–18 October 2025
Location: Beijing, China

The International Symposium Commemorating the 40^th Anniversary of the Halo Nuclei (HALO-40) will be held in Beijing from October 12 to 18, 2025, and follows the highly successful 30^th Anniversary Symposium held in 2015. It aims to celebrate four decades of scientific progress since the pioneering proposal of the neutron halo concept in 1987, a breakthrough initially inspired by the experimental discovery of anomalously large interaction cross-sections of ¹¹Li in 1985.

This symposium will garner experts from across the globe to discuss the latest advancements and future directions in the study of halo nuclei and related topics. The main topics that will covered include the following:

• Halo nuclei;
• Nuclear structures approaching the dripline;
• Reaction dynamics for exotic nuclei;
• Advanced nuclear models for exotic nuclei;
• Interdisciplinary frontiers related to exotic nuclei;
• Facilities and instruments for exotic nuclei.

MDPI will be attending the International Symposium Commemorating the 40^th Anniversary of the Halo Nuclei as an exhibitor. We welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Particles;
• Atoms;
• Condensed Matter;
• Physics;
• Dynamics.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about this event, please visit the following website: https://indico.pku.edu.cn/event/42/overview.

The year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics, a field that has completely changed the way we understand the universe. Aligned with the UNESCO 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, we have launched a landing page including a curated collection of articles to showcase a century of transformative advancements in quantum science and technology. We will also be organizing a series of webinars and workshops, featuring invited experts who will explore key topics and emerging trends, offering valuable insights into the quantum research field. 

We invite you to explore our dedicated landing page, which features a collection of content highlighting this historic occasion. In collaboration with our related journals, stay tuned for upcoming events celebrating quantum breakthroughs, and explore Special Issues and topics open for manuscript submissions. Discover Special Issue Books highlighting the latest advancements in the field, along with research highlights that demonstrate the ongoing impact of quantum science. You will also find an overview of the history and evolution of quantum mechanics over the past century.

Open access drives progress by making knowledge freely available to all. We are proud to amplify quantum research and strengthen connections across the global scientific community as we move into the next era of discovery. 

Explore the full initiative at quantum100.mdpi.com.

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Jie Meng has been appointed as Associate Editor-in-Chief of Particles (ISSN: 2571-712X).

Prof. Dr. Jie Meng, Cheuang Kong Professor at Peking University, is a world-leading scientist in nuclear physics. He has an excellent reputation and has made seminal contributions to the establishment of relativistic density functional theory for novel nuclear phenomena and chiral symmetry in atomic nuclei. He has established strong and broad collaboration networks with many institutions all over the world.

He is the author of numerous seminal contributions to modern nuclear physics and many-body theory. He has, to his credit, 520+ publications, including 20 in Physical Review Letters, 38 in Physics Letters B, as testified by an outstanding citation of 30,000+ times, h-index of 88 (Google Scholar). He has been recognized internationally by many awards and honors, including the Achievement in Asia Award in 2009, the GENCO Membership Award in 2010, and the Humboldt Research Award in 2022. He was selected as an American Physics Society Fellow in 2012 and as a Member of Academia Europaea in 2018.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Jie Meng, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views on the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal and motivated you to accept the role as its Associate Editor-in-Chief?
Particles focuses on particle physics and nuclear physics, covering both theoretical and experimental advances. It provides an important international platform for innovative works and research findings in this field with an interdisciplinary scope. I see this role as an opportunity to contribute to shaping the journal’s academic quality and to promote the exchange of ideas within the global physics community.

2. What is your vision for the journal?
My vision for Particles is to further enhance its impact and international visibility by attracting high-quality submissions across all areas of particle and nuclear physics. I hope the journal will become a dynamic and young researcher friendly platform where innovative ideas, methodological advances, and interdisciplinary research are shared openly and rapidly, fostering collaboration and scientific progress in the field.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?
The future of particle and nuclear physics is full of exciting opportunities. With advances in experimental facilities and computational sciences, such as radioactive beam accelerators and large-scale detectors, we are entering a new era of precision measurements and large-scale simulations. Interdisciplinary approaches, combining nuclear physics with cosmology, astrophysics, condensed matter, and even quantum information science, are opening new research frontiers. I believe the field will continue to provide fundamental insights into the structure of matter and the forces that govern our universe.

4. Do you have any suggestions for young researchers in this field?
I would encourage young researchers to build a solid foundation in fundamental physics and stay informed about the latest developments in both theory and experiment. Active participation in international collaborations and interdisciplinary projects can broaden research perspectives. Most importantly, enjoy the process of discovery—science is a long journey, but a rewarding one.

5. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?
Open access is playing an increasingly important role in scientific publishing. It promotes the rapid and widespread dissemination of research findings, making them accessible to a global audience without barriers. This is especially valuable for fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing across different regions and disciplines. While challenges remain in terms of publication costs and quality control, I believe open access will continue to grow and contribute positively to the advancement of science.

The editorial team warmly welcomes Prof. Dr. Jie Meng as the Associate Editor and looks forward to his contributions to the continued success of Particles. For further information about the journal, please click here.

Gravitation, cosmology, and astrophysics are core areas of modern physics, dedicated to understanding the fundamental forces and phenomena governing the universe. These interconnected fields explore the structure of space–time, the nature of gravity, the origin and evolution of the cosmos, and the dynamics of matter and energy across all cosmic scales. Research in these areas covers a wide spectrum of topics, including the study of black holes, gravitational waves, cosmic microwave background, dark matter and dark energy, high-energy particle interactions, galaxies, and large-scale structure of the universe. This interdisciplinary landscape integrates astronomy and astrophysics, particle and nuclear physics, cosmology, and gravitational physics; each contributing critical insights toward unraveling some of the most profound questions in contemporary physics.

MDPI’s cluster of journals in gravitation, cosmology, and astrophysics is dedicated to advancing research in these dynamic and rapidly evolving areas. Each journal in the cluster provides a peer-reviewed platform for original research, theoretical insights, detailed observations, and innovative proposals, with a focus on advanced computational methods, cutting-edge instrumentation, and interdisciplinary approaches. By promoting open access and fostering collaboration across diverse scientific communities, the cluster supports the dissemination of research outputs and aims to accelerate progress in understanding the fundamental laws and structures of the universe.

The four participating journals are as follows:

• Universe (ISSN: 2218-1997) focuses on theoretical, experimental, and observational progress in fundamental and applied physics, from circumterrestrial space to cosmological scenarios. Universe is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Lorenzo Iorio (Ministero dell’ Istruzione e del Merito, Viale Unità di Italia 68, Bari, Italy);
• Galaxies (ISSN: 2075-4434) focuses on astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology. Galaxies is led by Editor-in-Chiefs Dr. Margo Aller (Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1042, USA) and Dr. Jose L. Gómez (Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomía S/N, 18008 Granada, Spain);
• Particles (ISSN: 2571-712X) covers all aspects of nuclear physics, particle physics and astrophysics science. Particles is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Armen Sedrakian (¹ Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), Frankfurt am Main, Germany, ² Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland);
• Astronomy (ISSN: 2674-0346) focuses on observational astronomy, theoretical astronomy and other specific subfields. Astronomy is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Ignatios Antoniadis (Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Hautes Énergies - LPTHE, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, France).

MDPI mission and values:
As a pioneer of academic open access publishing, MDPI has been serving the scientific community since 1996. Our aim is to foster scientific exchange in all forms across all disciplines. MDPI’s guidelines for disseminating open science are based on the following values and guiding principles:

• Open Access—All of our content is published in open access and distributed under a Creative Commons License, providing free access to science and the latest research, allowing articles to be freely shared and content to be re-used with proper attribution;
• Timeliness and Efficiency—Publishing the latest research through thorough editorial work, ensuring a first decision is provided to authors in under 32 days and papers are published within 7-10 days upon acceptance;
• Simplicity—Offering user-friendly tools and services in one place to enhance the efficiency of our editorial process;
• High-Quality Service—Supporting scholars and their work by providing a range of options such as journal publication at mdpi.com, early publication at preprints.org, and conferences on sciforum.net to make a positive impact on research;
• Flexibility—Adapting and developing new tools and services to meet the changing needs of the research community, driven by feedback from authors, editors, and readers;
• Rooted in Sustainability—Ensuring the long-term preservation of published papers and supporting the future of science through partnerships, sponsorships, and awards.

By adhering to these values and principles, MDPI remains committed to advancing scientific knowledge and promoting open science practices.

Selected Special Issues:
“The 10th Anniversary of Universe: Standard Cosmological Models, and Modified Gravity and Cosmological Tensions”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Panayiotis Stavrinos, Prof. Dr. Antonino Del Popolo, Prof. Dr. Hermano Velten, Prof. Dr. Tina Kahniashvili, Prof. Dr. Jean-Michel Alimi and Prof. Dr. Yi-Fu Cai
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025

“Celebrating the 110th Anniversary of General Relativity: Advances, Challenges and Perspectives”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Lorenzo Iorio and Prof. Dr. Øyvind Grøn
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026

“The Evolution of Gravitational Wave Detectors”
Guest Editors: Dr. Maddalena Mantovani and Dr. Mattia Boldrini
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025

“Theoretical and Observational Approaches to the Hubble Tension in Cosmology”
Guest Editors: Dr. Indranil Banik and Dr. Harry Desmond
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025

“Particles and Plasmas in Strong Fields”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. David Blaschke, Prof. Dr. Tamás S. Biró and Prof. Dr. Ralf Schützhold
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025

“Current Trends in Cosmology”
Guest Editor: Dr. Paolo Salucci
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025

Selected Articles:
“Seven Hints That Early-Time New Physics Alone Is Not Sufficient to Solve the Hubble Tension”
by Sunny Vagnozzi
Universe 2023, 9(9), 393; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9090393

“Gravitational Condensate Stars: An Alternative to Black Holes”
by Pawel O. Mazur and Emil Mottola
Universe 2023, 9(2), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9020088

“Key Science Goals for the Next-Generation Event Horizon Telescope”
by Michael D. Johnson, Kazunori Akiyama, Lindy Blackburn, Katherine L. Bouman, Avery E. Broderick, Vitor Cardoso, Rob P. Fender, Christian M. Fromm, Peter Galison, José L. Gómez et al.
Galaxies 2023, 11(3), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies11030061

“Observational Tests of Active Galactic Nuclei Feedback: An Overview of Approaches and Interpretation”
by Chris M. Harrison and Cristina Ramos Almeida
Galaxies 2024, 12(2), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies12020017

“Fermion Proca Stars: Vector-Dark-Matter-Admixed Neutron Stars”
by Cédric Jockel and Laura Sagunski
Particles 2024, 7(1), 52-79; https://doi.org/10.3390/particles7010004

“Lensing with Generalized Symmetrons”
by Christian Käding
Astronomy 2023, 2(2), 128-140; https://doi.org/10.3390/astronomy2020009

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Omar Benhar has been appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Nuclear and Hadronic Theory” Section in Particles (ISSN: 2571-712X).

Prof. Dr. Omar Benhar is a Senior Research Associate at the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Research (INFN) in Rome. He worked extensively in the USA and taught relativistic quantum mechanics, field theory, and gauge theories at Sapienza University of Rome for over two decades. He authored or coauthored two textbooks on these subjects, as well as two monographs on nuclear matter and compact stars, and published more than one hundred and fifty scientific papers on the theory of many-particle systems, the structure and dynamics of neutron stars, and the electroweak interactions of nuclei.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Omar Benhar, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views on the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to also take on the role as its Section Editor-in-Chief?
My decision to accept the invitation to join the Editorial Board of Particles, dating back to 2020, was mainly driven by the wide spectrum of subjects covered by the journal, including the most current issues of nuclear and particle physics and astrophysics. The same motivation is behind my acceptance to serve as Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Nuclear and Hadronic Theory” Section.

2. What is your vision for the journal?
In my view, Particles should be instrumental in building a network of scientists who, in addition to working on their field, are capable and willing to engage in cross-disciplinary collaborations to take on the issues raised by recent and forthcoming experimental developments.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?
In the coming years, the observation of gravitational and electromagnetic signals emitted from neutron stars, as well as a new generation of experimental studies of nuclear and hadron structure, will provide an unprecedent wealth of data, the understanding of which will require the development of suitable theoretical tools. Such a cross-fertilization process has the potential to greatly advance the field.

4. Do you have any suggestions for young researchers in this field?
Avoid focusing on too narrow a subject. Always keep an open mind towards cross-disciplinary research.

5. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?
Open access will be essential, both for making teaching material available to ever broader and more diverse student audiences and for maximizing the dissemination of scientific results.

The editorial team warmly welcomes Prof. Dr. Omar Benhar as the Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Nuclear and Hadronic Theory” Section and looks forward to his contributions to the continued success of Particles. For further information on the journal sections, please click here.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Mª Ángeles Pérez García has been appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology” in Particles (ISSN: 2571-712X).

Dr. Pérez García is a professor of physics at the University of Salamanca (USAL), Spain. She earned her PhD in physics from the University of Oviedo in 2001. She was a postdoctoral researcher at Indiana University (USA) and the University of Oviedo before joining USAL. She is a member of the Einstein Telescope collaboration, which searches for gravitational wave events, and the MAAT/LPQI collaborations at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), which investigate electromagnetic counterparts of merger events. Her research has contributed to the study of the warm low-density equation of state and the so-called “pasta phases” in neutron stars. She has also worked on magnetized ultradense matter, weak interaction processes (including neutrino physics), and beyond the standard model (BSM) physics, notably in dark matter phenomenology within astrophysical scenarios.

The following is a short Q&A with Dr. Mª Ángeles Pérez García, who shared her vision for the journal with us, as well as her views of the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take on the role as its Section Editor-in-Chief?

I believe that having a dedicated “Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology” Section is essential in any modern physics journal. Astroparticle-related subfields are flourishing, and multimessenger astronomy is opening new, insightful observational windows.

2. What is your vision for the journal?

I envision a section where key, high-impact contributions relevant to the Astroparticle and Cosmology communities are published.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?

The future of this field lies at the forefront of progress in physics. From current experimental observations to new theoretical frameworks, many open questions, such as the nature of dark matter and dark energy, early Universe physics, stellar evolution, extra dimensions, and gravitation, will benefit from cross-disciplinary advances.

4. Do you have any suggestions for young researchers in this field?

Today’s scientific landscape offers a great opportunity for integrating and sharing knowledge across traditionally disconnected disciplines. Technological progress and the availability of advanced tools enable rapid developments in research.

5. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?

Open access provides an excellent opportunity to spread knowledge and accelerate scientific progress.

The editorial team welcomes Dr. Mª Ángeles Pérez García as the Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology” Section and looks forward to her contributions to the continued success of Particles. For further information on the journal sections, please click here.

Particles Editorial Office

Six new journals covering a range of subjects launched their inaugural issues in June 2025. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access. We are pleased to present the latest research and to make it accessible to all.

We extend our sincere thanks to all the Editorial Board Members for their commitment and expertise. Each journal is dedicated to upholding strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Chang-Pu Sun, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing, China; Computational Science Research Center, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	quantum information and phenomena; condensed matter physics and statistical physics; atomic, molecular, and optical physics; computational physics and mathematical methods View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Hualiang Lin, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Prof. Dr. Jose L. Domingo, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain Editorial | View inaugural issue	green and organic food; green infrastructures; green exercise; environmental impact of the healthcare sector; effects of climate change on human health | View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Francesco Veglio, University of L’Aquila, Italy Editorial | View inaugural issue	ultra-pure substances; water purification; air purification; gas purification; inorganic chemical purification; purification technologies View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Junxing Zheng, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	computer-aided design and engineering; artificial intelligence and machine learning; building information modeling (BIM) and digital twins; robotics and automation in construction; smart sensors and Internet of Things (IoT); intelligent control systems and facilities management View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Assunta Di Vaio, University of Naples Parthenope, Italy Editorial | View inaugural issue	sustainability, managerial, and biodiversity accounting; carbon management accounting; corporate social responsibility; artificial intelligence and disclosure View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Changjun Liu, Sichuan University, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	bioeffects of electromagnetic waves; electromagnetic science and engineering; microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz technologies; metamaterials and metasurfaces; communication, sensing, and networks; energy, power, and sustainable applications; quantum and emerging technologies; artificial intelligence and advanced fabrication View journal scope | Submit an article