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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Cosmological Perturbations: From the Early Universe to Late-Time Evolution
edited by Giovanni Otálora
submission deadline 31 Aug 2025 | Viewed by 158 | Submission Open
Keywords: cosmological perturbations; quantum fluctuations; primordial gravitational waves; primordial black holes; inflationary models; modified gravity; large-scale structure; stochastic gravitational wave background; non-Gaussianity; dark energy perturbations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
Supermassive Black Hole Mass Measurements
edited by Benjamin Boizelle
submission deadline 21 Sep 2025 | Viewed by 225 | Submission Open
Keywords: supermassive black holes; active galactic nuclei; stellar or gaseous kinematics; dynamical modeling
(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)
Bouncing Cosmology and the Early Universe: From Theory to Observations
edited by Arnab Dasgupta
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1212 | 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)
Geometric Theories of Gravity submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 656 | 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)
Extensions of General Relativity and Applications to Cosmology and Gravitation
edited by Mauricio Bellini, Mariano Anabitarte and
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 414 | Submission Open
Keywords: extended general relativity; gravitation; cosmology; early universe; topological defects; black holes; Hawking radiation; cosmic strings; quantum gravity; extended manifolds; Weyl manifolds; dark energy; dark matter
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
The 10th Anniversary of Universe: Standard Cosmological Models, and Modified Gravity and Cosmological Tensions submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 7 articles | Viewed by 4310 | Submission Open
Keywords: general relativity and its extensions; modified gravity; Λ CDM cosmological model; dark matter; dark energy; hubble tension; gravitational waves; scalar-tensor theories; cosmological anisotropies
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
10th Anniversary of Universe: Galaxies and Their Black Holes submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2067 | Submission Open
Keywords: supermassive black holes; accretion; galactic evolution; feedback; multimessenger astronomy; high-redshift universe; stellar- and intermediate-mass black holes
Search for New Physics Through Combined Approaches
edited by Yang Zhang and
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1552 | 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)
Advances in Nuclear Astrophysics
edited by Ragandeep Singh Sidhu, Gavin Lotay and Jaspreet Singh Randhawa
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1264 | Submission Open
Keywords: nuclear astrophysics; observational astronomy; nuclear physics; stellar evolution; experimental techniques; fundamental properties
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays: Past, Present and Future
edited by and Vladimir Lenok
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1037 | Submission Open
Keywords: ultra-high energy cosmic rays; astrophysical neutrino; high-energy gamma rays; multimessenger astronomy; cosmic accelerators        
(This special issue belongs to the Section Space Science)
10th Anniversary of Universe: Studying the Strongly Interacting Matter in Nuclear Reactions from Intermediate to Ultra-Relativistic Energies
edited by , Panos Christakoglou, and You Zhou
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 305 | Submission Open
Keywords: quark-gluon plasma; nuclear interactions; heavy-ion physics; strong interaction; phase diagram
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
New Progress of Black Hole Accretion Disk
edited by Arghajit Jana
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 192 | Submission Open
Keywords: active galactic nuclei; black holes; X-ray binaries; X-ray polarization; reverberation technique; accretion; accretion disk; jet; disk– jet couplings; quasars; Seyfert; blazars
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
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 14 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 200 | 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)
Magnetic Fields and Activity in Stars: Origins and Evolution submission deadline 21 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 157 | Submission Open
Keywords: magnetic fields; magnetic activity; stellar evolution; dynamos in stars; star– planet interaction; spectropolarimetry; asteroseismology; stellar atmospheres
(This special issue belongs to the Section Solar and Stellar Physics)
Studying Astrophysics with High-Energy Cosmic Particles
edited by Kinwah Wu and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5589 | Submission Open
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
Exploring Double Beta Decay: Probing Fundamental Properties of Neutrinos and Beyond
edited by
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 2548 | Submission Open
Keywords: experimental and theoretical topics on double beta decay modes; low-background detectors and methodologies; nuclear matrix
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
Modified Gravity and Dark Energy Theories
edited by Changjun Gao
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1638 | Submission Open
Keywords: dark energy; modified gravity theories; black hole solutions; exact solutions; black hole thermodynamics; nature of spacetime; black hole physics; gravitational waves in modified gravity theories
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
Studies of Hadron Spectroscopy at the Current/Future Electron-Hadron and Electron-Ion Colliders
edited by Vladimir Khachatryan and Wenliang Li
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 406 | Submission Open
Keywords: quantum chromodynamics; electron scattering; electron-hadron colliders; hadron spectroscopy; conventional & non-conventional hadronic states; photo & electroproduction processes; exclusive & inclusive processes; fragmentation & hadronization
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
Insights into the Magellanic Clouds: From Star Formation to Galactic Dynamics
edited by Noelia E. D. Noël
submission deadline 1 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 87 | Submission Open
Keywords: Magellanic Clouds; dwarf galaxies; galaxy evolution; stellar populations; star formation history; chemical enrichment; galaxy interactions; dark matter; gas dynamics; cosmological simulations  
(This special issue belongs to the Section Galaxies and Clusters)
Mechanisms Behind Black Holes and Relativistic Jets
edited by
submission deadline 15 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 131 | Submission Open
Keywords: black holes; relativistic jets; active galactic nuclei; gamma-ray bursts; numerical simulations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)
BGL2025: The 13th Bolyai–Gauss–Lobachevsky Conference on Non-Euclidean Geometry and Its Applications
edited by Taoufik Ouali, , László Jenkovszky, Ahmed Errahmani and
submission deadline 30 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 319 | Submission Open
Keywords: advances in mathematics; recent developments in physics; mathematics– physics dialogue; modified gravity theories; the Hubble tension; quantum gravity; cosmology; gravitational waves; complex systems; chaos and instability
Measurements, Observations and Theoretical Studies on the Solar Magnetic Field—Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Huairou Solar Observing Station
edited by , Mei Zhang, , Jiaben Lin and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 17 articles | Viewed by 11184 | Submission Open
Keywords: solar magnetic field; solar polarimetry; multi-wavelength diagnostic; topology analysis; astroinformatics; MHD; solar dynamo; space weather forecasting; solar historical data; space projects
(This special issue belongs to the Section Solar and Stellar Physics)
Current Status of the Hubble Tension
edited by , and Nakia Carlevaro
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 6005 | 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)
Universe: Feature Papers 2025—Space Science
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 8 articles | Viewed by 4678 | Submission Open
Keywords: space mission/instrument/telescope concepts; inflight/in preparation space instrument; instrument performance evaluation; detectors technologies and perspectives; imaging and timing techniques and methods; spectroscopy and polarimetry techniques and methods; observational and analysis techniques and methods; cosmic ray sources emission models; methods for observing gravitational waves and counterparts at other frequencies (from radio to gamma); methods and techniques for planetary (solar and extrasolar) science and exploration; space technology and biomedicine; environmental science; telecommunications; materials science
(This special issue belongs to the Section Space Science)
Exploring Low-Frequency Gravitational Wave Sources: Waveforms, Detection and Sciences
edited by Wenbiao Han, Ziren Luo and Shucheng Yang
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 4414 | Submission Open
Keywords: gravitational waves; black holes; tests of theories of gravity; machine learning; data analysis
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
Advances in Studies of Galaxies at High Redshift
edited by Krisztina Éva Gabányi
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3738 | Submission Open
Keywords: high-redshift galaxies; active galaxies; quasars; supermassive black holes; star formation; galaxy evolution; early universe; cosmology; observational astronomy; simulations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Galaxies and Clusters)
Variable Stars in the 21st Century: From Microvariability to Megavariability
edited by and Tamas Szalai
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2289 | Submission Open
Keywords: stellar variability; sky surveys; time-domain astrophysics; astrophysical transients; individual variable stars
(This special issue belongs to the Section Solar and Stellar Physics)
Challenges and Future Directions in Neutron Star Research submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1118 | 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)
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 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 943 | 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)
Astrophysics and Cosmology at High Z submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 187 | Submission Open
Keywords: astrophysics; cosmology; high-redshift surveys; structures in the universe; dark sector of the universe
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
Magnetized Dense Matter in Compact Stars: From Fundamental Properties to Astrophysical Observables
edited by Efrain J. Ferrer, and Cristina Manuel
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 134 | Submission Open
Keywords: magnetized relativistic systems; magnetized dense systems; equation of state in magnetized dense systems; rotation in magnetized dense system; cooling in magnetized dense systems; transport properties of magnetized dense systems; topological effects in magnetized dense systems; hadron– quark phase transition in a magnetic field
(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)
Quantum Gravity Phenomenology: Insights and Advances
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 132 | 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)
Studies in Properties of AccretionEjection Phenomena Around Black Holes
edited by Chandra Singh, and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 89 | Submission Open
Keywords: accretion; jet; X-ray binaries; ULXs; AGNs; relativistic phenomena; radiation; magnetic field
(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)
Neutrino Insights: Peering into the Subatomic Universe
edited by Guillermo D. Megias
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2521 | Submission Open
Keywords: neutrino physics; neutrino oscillations; electroweak interactions; CP violation; solar and atmospheric neutrinos; long-baseline accelerators; neutrino-nucleus reactions; low and high energy neutrinos
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Modern Astronomy
edited by Bo Qiu
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 736 | Submission Open
Keywords: artificial intelligence; machine learning; astronomy; deep learning; big data; telescope
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astroinformatics and Astrostatistics)
Exploring and Constraining Alternative Theories of Gravity submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 228 | 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
edited by Tamás Borkovits and
submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 102 | 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)
Multi-Messenger Astrophysics: Synergies Between Cosmic Rays, Gravitational Waves, Neutrinos, and Electromagnetic Signals
edited by and Günter Sigl
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 201 | 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)
Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions: Theory and Observation
edited by and Chunjian Zhang
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 122 | 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)
Supergravity, Strings, and Related Topics
edited by Yi Pang, , Robert Saskowski, and Jun Nian
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 70 | Submission Open
Keywords: supergravity; string theory; black holes; branes; AdS/CFT; double/exceptional field theory; higher derivative corrections
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
Detection and Tracking of Near-Earth Asteroids
edited by
submission deadline 27 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 110 | Submission Open
Keywords: near-earth asteroids (NEAs); asteroid detection and tracking; asteroid composition and evolution; orbital dynamics; machine learning in astronomy; planetary defense; space-based observations; solar system dynamics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Planetary Sciences)
The Hidden Stories of Small Planetary Bodies
edited by Emese Forgacs-Dajka and Csaba Kiss
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 365 | 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)
The First Stars: Keys to Understanding Dark Matter
edited by
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 359 | Submission Open
Keywords: dark matter; first stars; early universe; WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles); James Webb Space Telescope
(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 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 105 | 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)
Multi-wavelength Properties of Active Galactic Nuclei
edited by
submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2249 | Submission Open
Keywords: active galactic nuclei; black-hole physics; accretion; winds; jets; emission mechanism; theoretical modelling; observing facilities; software and databases
(This special issue belongs to the Section Galaxies and Clusters)
Seyfert Galaxies: Probing the Active Nuclei of Nearby Galaxies
edited by Oli Luiz Dors
submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 652 | Submission Open
Keywords: galaxies: abundances; ISM: abundances; galaxies: nuclei; galaxies: active; galaxies: high redshift; galaxies: reionization
(This special issue belongs to the Section Galaxies and Clusters)
Exploring the Heavy Ion Collisions in Particle Physics submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 429 | Submission Open
Keywords: quark– gluon plasma; hadron resonance; partonic interactions; heavy ion collisions; particle physics; (anti)nuclei formation; physics beyond QCD; detector development; theoretical models
(This special issue belongs to the Section High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics)
The Lifecycle of Massive Stars
edited by
submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 215 | 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)
Tensions, Anomalies, and Challenges in the Standard Cosmological Model
edited by and Pavan Kumar Aluri
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 878 | Submission Open
Keywords: standard cosmological model— anomalies; tensions; challenges; cosmological principle; Hubble tension; S8 tension; dark matter and dark energy; early- and late-time probes
(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)
General Relativity, Modified Theories of Gravity and Their Applications in Astrophysics
edited by and Wenbin Lin
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 526 | Submission Open
Keywords: general relativity; modified theories of gravity; cosmology; post-Newtonian approximations; black hole physics; compact objects; numerical integration methods; chaotic dynamics; gravitational waves; planetary dynamics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)
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