Strong QCD and Hadron Structure

A special issue of Particles (ISSN 2571-712X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 December 2025 | Viewed by 837

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
2. Institute for Nonperturbative Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Interests: nonperturbative quantum field theory; hadron physics; parton distribution functions; form factors (elastic and transition); emergence of hadron mass; confinement of quarks and gluons; dynamical chiral symmetry breaking; phase transition of quantum chromodynamics; high-energy nuclear physics

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
2. Institute for Nonperturbative Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Interests: hadron physics; high-energy nuclear physics; nonperturbative quantum field theory; confinement of gluons and quarks; dynamical chiral symmetry breaking; emergence of hadron mass; continuum Schwinger function methods; light-quarks; heavy quarks; Nambu–Goldstone bosons; form factors (elastic and transition); parton distribution functions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the operation, construction, and planning of high-luminosity, high-energy facilities using electromagnetic and hadronic probes, the world has embarked on an ambitious program of experiments to test quantum chromodynamics (QCD) as never before, with measurements relating to hadron elastic and transition form factors, parton distribution functions, generalized parton distributions, transverse momentum-dependent structure functions, etc. It is, therefore, imperative to identify key experiments, refine their goals, and develop phenomenology and theory that can convert precise data into insights that will expose the character of interaction dynamics at the strong QCD frontier, where QCD’s running coupling becomes large. This volume will gather contributions from experts in experiments, phenomenology, and theory that place these goals in a contemporary scientific context and sketch a road map that will lead to their realization, highlighting how science can fully capitalize on modern high-profile investments. At stake is an answer to the question: Is QCD truly a theory? The answer may set the stage for developments that take science far beyond the Standard Model.

Prof. Dr. Zhu-Fang Cui
Prof. Dr. Craig Roberts
Guest Editors

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. Particles is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1600 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.

Keywords

  • confinement of gluons and quarks
  • dynamical chiral symmetry breaking
  • emergence of mass
  • Higgs mechanism of mass generation
  • pion structure
  • proton structure
  • parton distributions
  • quantum chromodynamics
  • Schwinger function methods (continuum and lattice)
  • strong interactions in the standard model of particle physics

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.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

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