Special Issues

Universe publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process. The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

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Primordial Black Holes: Observational Strategies
edited by
submission deadline 3 May 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1908
Keywords: dark matter; gravitational radiation; high-energy astrophysics; microlensing
(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)
Challenges and Future Directions in Neutron Star Research submission deadline 15 May 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2551 | Submission Open
Keywords: compact stars; neutron stars; quark stars; hybrid stars; neutron star mergers; gravitational waves
(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)
Exploring Low-Frequency Gravitational Wave Sources: Waveforms, Detection and Sciences
edited by Wenbiao Han, Ziren Luo and Shucheng Yang
submission deadline 22 May 2026 | 7 articles | Viewed by 9240 | Submission Open
Keywords: gravitational waves; black holes; tests of theories of gravity; machine learning; data analysis
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
Bouncing Cosmology and the Early Universe: From Theory to Observations
edited by
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4220 | Submission Open
Keywords: bouncing cosmology; cyclic universe; cosmic microwave background (CMB); matter– antimatter asymmetry; dark energy and dark matter
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
Strong Gravitational Lensing in Observational Astrophysics and Cosmology
edited by
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 372 | Submission Open
Keywords: time-delay cosmography; Hubble constant; lens modeling; cosmological probes; lensed transients; machine learning; high-redshift galaxies
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
Mechanisms Behind Black Holes and Relativistic Jets
edited by
submission deadline 19 Jun 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2080 | Submission Open
Keywords: black holes; relativistic jets; active galactic nuclei; gamma-ray bursts; numerical simulations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)
Quantum Gravity Phenomenology: Insights and Advances
edited by
submission deadline 26 Jun 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 4898 | Submission Open
Keywords: Lorentz invariance violation; generalized uncertainty principle; non-Riemannian geometries; entanglement; quantum correlations; ultraviolet/infrared mixing; multi-messenger astrophysics; quantum information  
(This special issue belongs to the Section Foundations of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Gravity)
Celebrating the 110th Anniversary of General Relativity: Advances, Challenges and Perspectives submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 15 articles | Viewed by 14960 | Submission Open
Keywords: general relativity; 110th anniversary; gravitation; cosmology; challenges in gravitational physics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
Current Status of the Hubble Tension
edited by , and Nakia Carlevaro
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 11614 | Submission Open
Keywords: Hubble tension; dark matter; dark energy; dark matter/dark energy interaction; quintessence; late universe physics; cosmology from modified gravity; early universe dark energy; model testing; data analysis
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
Search for New Physics Through Combined Approaches
edited by Yang Zhang and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4829 | Submission Open
Keywords: beyond standard model physics; grand unified theory; collider physics; Higgs physics; electroweak precision measurements; dark matter; electroweak phase transition; gravitational wave 
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
Ultralight Bosonic Dark Matter: Theoretical Developments and Experimental Searches
edited by Dmitry Budker, Hendrik Bekker, Alexander Sushkov and Arne Wickenbrock
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1590 | Submission Open
Keywords: dark matter; exotic spin-dependent interactions; sensor networks; axion quark nuggets; Aharonov– Casher effect; nuclear spin hyperpolarization
Solar Activity During Cycle 25
edited by Hui Li and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 741 | Submission Open
Keywords: solar magnetic field; solar flares; coronal mass ejections (CMEs); chromospheric and coronal heating; prominences/filaments and jets; solar activity and space weather; solar activity diagnosis with machine learning; solar instrumentation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Solar and Stellar Physics)
Hairy Black Holes: Insights and Advances
edited by and Jose Luis Blázquez-Salcedo
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 627 | Submission Open
Keywords: hairy black holes; general relativity; modified gravity; gravitational waves; black hole shadows; quantum gravity; no-hair theorem; numerical relativity; dark matter models; Event Horizon Telescope  
(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)
Asteroseismology: Probing Stellar Interiors Through Oscillation Modes
edited by , Kuldeep Verma and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 311 | Submission Open
Keywords: asteroseismology; stellar oscillations; stellar interiors; stellar structure and evolution; element mixing; stellar rotation; angular momentum transfer; magnetic fields
(This special issue belongs to the Section Solar and Stellar Physics)
Ultralight Dark Matter: Theory and Observation
edited by Arnab Dasgupta
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 267 | Submission Open
Keywords: ultralight dark matter; bosonic fields; coherent field; axion; ALP; fuzzy dark matter
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions: Theory and Observation
edited by and Chunjian Zhang
submission deadline 15 Jul 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2628 | Submission Open
Keywords: quark-gluon plasma; transport model; hydrodynamics model; phase diagram; spin polarization; jet; collective flow
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
Selected Papers from the 3rd International Online Conference on Universe (IOCU 2026) submission deadline 20 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 655 | Submission Open
Keywords: gravitation and cosmology; quantum gravity and field theory; high-energy nuclear and particle physics; foundations of quantum mechanics; space and planetary sciences; galaxies; clusters and compact objects; solar and stellar physics
Exploring and Constraining Alternative Theories of Gravity submission deadline 24 Jul 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 4432 | Submission Open
Keywords: gravitation; cosmology; modified theories of gravity; scalar– vector– tensor theories; torsion and non-metricity; higher-order theories; models beyond the standard model of particle physics; quantum gravity; inflationary universe; gravitational wave universe; dark universe; observational constraints; ground- and space-based missions  
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
The Royal Road: Eclipsing Binaries and Transiting Exoplanets, 2nd Edition submission deadline 24 Jul 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1290 | Submission Open
Keywords: eclipsing binaries; transiting exoplanets; eclipse and transit timing variations; hierarchical multiple systems; multi-planet systems; ellipsoidal; reflection; and beaming effects of binary stars; phase curves of exoplanets; atmospheres of exoplanets; dynamics of multiple systems; formation and evolution of binary systems and planetary systems; interior structure of stars and planets; occurrence rates and frequencies of planets; brown dwarfs; and stars  
(This special issue belongs to the Section Planetary Sciences)
Gamma-Ray Bursts: Unveiling the Mysteries of the Universe’s Most Powerful Explosions
edited by , He Gao, Liang Li and Jinjun Geng
submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 4217 | Submission Open
Keywords: prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts; afterglow of gamma-ray bursts; classification of gamma-ray bursts; beaming effects in gamma-ray bursts; central engines of gamma-ray bursts and their prolonged activities; radiation mechanisms of gamma-ray bursts; host galaxies of gamma-ray bursts; cosmological application of gamma-ray bursts; multiwavelength and multi-messenger aspects of gamma-ray bursts; instrumentation for gamma-ray bursts
(This special issue belongs to the Section Space Science)
Multi-Messenger Astrophysics: Synergies Between Cosmic Rays, Gravitational Waves, Neutrinos, and Electromagnetic Signals
edited by and Günter Sigl
submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2117 | Submission Open
Keywords: cosmic rays and air showers; high-energy gamma-rays and neutrinos gravitational waves; acceleration mechanisms and propagation; cosmic magnetic fields; cosmic ray anisotropies; multi-messenger and multi-wavelength signals; detection methods; hadronic interaction models; machine learning and high performance computing
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
String Theory and Particle Physics: A Themed Issue in Honor of Professor Ignatios Antoniadis on the Occasion of His 70th Birthday
edited by George K. Leontaris
submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 531 | Submission Open
Keywords: string theory; particle physics; supersymmetry; quantum gravity; cosmology
New Discoveries in Astronomical Data (II)
edited by Yanxia Zhang and
submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 302 | Submission Open
Keywords: artificial intelligence; machine learning; deep learning; discoveries: from radio to gamma-rays; astrostatistics and astroinformatics; data analysis: methods; statistical: astronomical data bases
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astroinformatics and Astrostatistics)
Advances in Machine Learning Techniques in Cosmology and Particle Physics
edited by Esteban González and
submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 287 | Submission Open
Keywords: cosmology; particle physics; machine learning; deep learning; data analysis
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astroinformatics and Astrostatistics)
Active Galactic Nuclei: Accretion and Supermassive Black Holes
edited by Edi Bon and
submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 257 | Submission Open
Keywords: active galactic nuclei (AGN); accretion disks; supermassive black holes (SMBH); broad-line region (BLR); dusty torus; AGN unification (type 1 and type 2); changing-look AGN; radius– luminosity relation; black hole mass scaling; quasar main sequence (eigenvector 1); supermassive binary black holes; quasar cosmology
(This special issue belongs to the Section Galaxies and Clusters)
The Lifecycle of Massive Stars
edited by
submission deadline 1 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 512 | Submission Open
Keywords: massive stars; star formation; stellar evolution; stellar mass loss; stellar winds; supernova progenitors; binary stars; stellar magnetism; stellar rotation; population III
(This special issue belongs to the Section Solar and Stellar Physics)
The Hidden Stories of Small Planetary Bodies
edited by Emese Forgacs-Dajka and Csaba Kiss
submission deadline 21 Aug 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4137 | Submission Open
Keywords: small solar system bodies; asteroids and comets; celestial dynamics; survey astronomy; machine learning in planetary science; multi-wavelength observations; data-driven modeling; evolution of minor planets; AI applications in space science; planetary mission science
(This special issue belongs to the Section Planetary Sciences)
X-Ray Binary Transients: Insights and Discoveries
edited by Ignacio Negueruela
submission deadline 21 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 228 | Submission Open
Keywords: X-ray binaries; transient astrophysics; accretion physics; compact objects; time-domain astronomy    
(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)
10th Anniversary of Universe: Galaxies and Their Black Holes submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5492 | Submission Open
Keywords: supermassive black holes; accretion; galactic evolution; feedback; multimessenger astronomy; high-redshift universe; stellar- and intermediate-mass black holes
Astroinformatics and Big Data in Astronomy
edited by
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 885 | Submission Open
Keywords: astroinformatics; astronomical big data; machine and deep learning; artificial intelligence; data processing and visualization in astronomy; statistical inference; virtual observatory; scientific discovery
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astroinformatics and Astrostatistics)
Neutral Hydrogen Observations: Techniques and Cosmological Insights
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 215 | Submission Open
Keywords: neutral hydrogen intensity mapping; neutral hydrogen galaxy; neutral hydrogen absorber; large-scale structure; galaxy dynamics; galaxy and galaxy clusters
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
Supernova Remnants in the Multi-Wavelength Era
edited by
submission deadline 1 Sep 2026 | Viewed by 270 | Submission Open
Keywords: supernovae; supernova remnants; cosmic rays; explosion mechanisms; dust; stellar evolution; ISM; CSM; pulsar wind nebulae; compact remnants
(This special issue belongs to the Section Galaxies and Clusters)
Exploring the Formation and Impact of Type Ia Supernovae
edited by Umberto Battino, Benjamin Rose and Robert Izzard
submission deadline 25 Sep 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1403 | Submission Open
Keywords: light curves; supernovae; nucleosynthesis; nuclear reactions; galactic chemical evolution; supernova remnants; cosmic expansion      
(This special issue belongs to the Section Solar and Stellar Physics)
Axion Dark Matter and Cosmology
edited by Wei Chao
submission deadline 30 Sep 2026 | Viewed by 258 | Submission Open
Keywords: axion physics; strong CP problem; topological defects; quality problem; dark matter; baryogenesis; thermal field theory
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
Solar Radio Bursts and Radio Emission Mechanisms
edited by , Zongjun Ning and Guannan Gao
submission deadline 30 Sep 2026 | Viewed by 240 | Submission Open
Keywords: solar radio bursts; high resolution observing facilities; fine structures; zebra patterns; fibers; type III bursts; drifting pulsation structures; narrow band bursts; plasma emission; electron cyclotron maser radiation; gyrosynchrotron radiation; simulations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Solar and Stellar Physics)
Neutrino Oscillations and Interactions
edited by
submission deadline 30 Oct 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 920 | Submission Open
Keywords: neutrino oscillation parameters; PMNS matrix; neutrino interactions; neutrino mass hierarchy; charge-parity (CP) violation
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
Top Quark Physics: Recent Developments and Future Directions
edited by Yajuan Zheng and Ian Lewis
submission deadline 30 Oct 2026 | Viewed by 345 | Submission Open
Keywords: top quark mass; top Yukawa coupling; potential NRQCD; toponium; spin-polarization correlation; Green’ s function; BSM; SMEFT& HEFT; CP violation in the top sector
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
Theoretical Physics and Cosmology: A Themed Issue in Honor of Professor Emilio Elizalde on the Occasion of His 75th Birthday
edited by Tanmoy Paul and Diego Sáez-Chillón Gómez
submission deadline 31 Oct 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 1541 | Submission Open
Keywords: cosmology; cosmological model; viscous cosmology; dark energy; modified gravity                    
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
Astrometry and Celestial Reference Frames: Advances from Catalogs, Quasar Surveys, and Earth’s Rotation Model
edited by and Shilong Liao
submission deadline 31 Oct 2026 | Viewed by 182 | Submission Open
Keywords: astrometry; reference frames; VLBI; extragalactic sources; catalogs; earth’ s rotation; precession-nutation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Space Science)
Fast Radio Bursts in the Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics
edited by and
submission deadline 1 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 164 | Submission Open
Keywords: fast radio bursts; multi-messenger astronomy; radio transients; magnetars; neutron stars; high-energy astrophysics; radio astronomy; cosmology; intergalactic medium
(This special issue belongs to the Section Space Science)
Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime and Its Implications for Cosmology, Blackholes and Quantum Gravity, 2nd Edition
edited by Korumilli Sravan Kumar and
submission deadline 15 Nov 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3116 | Submission Open
Keywords: quantum field theory in curved spacetime; quantum gravity; black holes; cosmology
(This special issue belongs to the Section Foundations of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Gravity)
Advances in Quantum Gravity: Unifying Symmetry and Spacetime submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 440 | Submission Open
Keywords: quantum groups and non-commutative spacetime; loop quantum gravity and spin foams; Hořava– Lifshitz gravity and asymptotic safety; Lifshitz gravity and asymptotic safety; string theory; holography; and generalized symmetries; emergent gravity and quantum foundations; phenomenology and observational frontiers
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
Fuzzy Dark Matter Paradigm and Ultralight Axions
edited by
submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 345 | Submission Open
Keywords: fuzzy dark matter; ultralight axions; cold dark matter; Schrö dinger– Poisson simulations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
Cosmic Rays and Astroparticle Physics submission deadline 30 Nov 2026 | Viewed by 105 | Submission Open
Keywords: cosmic rays; high-energy astrophysics; turbulence; kinetic and first principles physics; acceleration and transport processes
(This special issue belongs to the Section Space Science)
Gravitational Lensing in the Era of JWST, Euclid, and Beyond
edited by
submission deadline 1 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 126 | Submission Open
Keywords: gravitational lensing; weak lensing; strong lensing; dark matter; cosmology; JWST; Euclid; Roman; large-scale structure; galaxy clusters; simulations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
The Role of Black Hole Growth in Galaxy Formation and Evolution
edited by and Violette Impellizzeri
submission deadline 15 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 565 | Submission Open
Keywords: supermassive black holes; galaxy formation and evolution; active galactic nuclei; star formation rates; gas dynamics; cosmological simulations; black hole mergers; gravitational waves; interstellar medium; structure formation  
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
Geometric Theories of Gravity submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 4272 | Submission Open
Keywords: spacetime; general relativity and its geometric reformulations; modified gravity: formal aspects and applications; perturbations and gravitational waves; cosmology; dark matter; and dark energy models
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
Oscillations and Instabilities of Solar Filaments submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 1847 | Submission Open
Keywords: solar filaments; solar prominences; filament oscillations; MHD waves; coronal seismology; filament instabilities; solar eruptions; coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
(This special issue belongs to the Section Solar and Stellar Physics)
HE/VHE Gamma-Ray in Extragalactic-Astrophysics: Observations, Models, and Cosmic Implications
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 602 | Submission Open
Keywords: HE/VHE gamma-ray observations; active galactic nucleus; gamma-ray bursts; gamma-ray propagation; cosmic rays; EBL attenuation
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
Primordial Black Holes: Formation, Signatures, and Cosmological Implications
edited by Albert Escrivà
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 347 | Submission Open
Keywords: PBH formation mechanisms; cosmological inflation; dark matter from PBHs; relativistic gravitational collapse; gravitational-wave signatures of PBHs
(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)
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