Submit to Universe Review for Universe Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

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.

Section

Search by Title/Keyword

Order results

Display

Results per page

Neutrino Insights: Peering into the Subatomic Universe

edited by Guillermo D. Megias

submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 3525 | 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 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3519 | 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

edited by

Cláudio Gomes

and

Gonzalo J. Olmo

submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2302 | 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

Szilard Csizmadia

submission deadline 30 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 231 | 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)

Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions: Theory and Observation

edited by

Jun Xu

and Chunjian Zhang

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1363 | 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)

Multi-Messenger Astrophysics: Synergies Between Cosmic Rays, Gravitational Waves, Neutrinos, and Electromagnetic Signals

edited by

Gina Isar

and Günter Sigl

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1356 | 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)

Supergravity, Strings, and Related Topics

edited by Yi Pang,

Gabriele Tartaglino-Mazzucchelli

, Robert Saskowski,

Kiril Hristov

and Jun Nian

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 227 | 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

Haibin Zhao

submission deadline 27 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 293 | 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 2531 | 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

Øyvind Grøn

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 508 | 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

Mojtaba Raouf

and Violette Impellizzeri

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 309 | 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)

Supermassive Black Hole Mass Measurements

edited by Benjamin Boizelle

submission deadline 20 Mar 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2210 | Submission Open

Keywords: supermassive black holes; active galactic nuclei; stellar or gaseous kinematics; dynamical modeling

(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)

The 10th Anniversary of Universe: Standard Cosmological Models, and Modified Gravity and Cosmological Tensions

edited by

Panayiotis Stavrinos

Antonino Del Popolo

Hermano Velten

, Tina Kahniashvili,

Jean-Michel Alimi

and

Yi-Fu Cai

submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | 10 articles | Viewed by 10829 | 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

edited by

Paola Marziani

and

Mauro D’Onofrio

submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 4262 | Submission Open

Keywords: supermassive black holes; accretion; galactic evolution; feedback; multimessenger astronomy; high-redshift universe; stellar- and intermediate-mass black holes

Multi-wavelength Properties of Active Galactic Nuclei

edited by

Stefano Vercellone

submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 4099 | 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)

Magnetized Dense Matter in Compact Stars: From Fundamental Properties to Astrophysical Observables

edited by Efrain J. Ferrer,

Vivian de la Incera

and Cristina Manuel

submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1004 | 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)

Seyfert Galaxies: Probing the Active Nuclei of Nearby Galaxies

edited by Oli Luiz Dors

submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 795 | 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)

10th Anniversary of Universe: Studying the Strongly Interacting Matter in Nuclear Reactions from Intermediate to Ultra-Relativistic Energies

edited by

Máté Csanád

, Panos Christakoglou,

Giuseppe Verde

and You Zhou

submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 668 | 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)

Exploring the Heavy Ion Collisions in Particle Physics

edited by

Marcello Abbrescia

and

Giuseppe Mandaglio

submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 555 | 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

Jacco Th. van Loon

submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 355 | 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)

Geometric Theories of Gravity

edited by

László Árpád Gergely

submission deadline 1 Apr 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 2751 | 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)

Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays: Past, Present and Future

edited by

Dmitriy Kostunin

and Vladimir Lenok

submission deadline 20 Apr 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2624 | 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)

Magnetic Fields and Activity in Stars: Origins and Evolution

edited by

Renada Konstantinova-Antova

submission deadline 21 Apr 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 1896 | 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)

Advances in Studies of Galaxies at High Redshift

edited by Krisztina Éva Gabányi

submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 8454 | 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)

Tensions, Anomalies, and Challenges in the Standard Cosmological Model

edited by

John P. Ralston

and Pavan Kumar Aluri

submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3635 | 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

Xin Wu

and Wenbin Lin

submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2328 | 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)

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 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 178 | Submission Open

Keywords: cosmology; cosmological model; viscous cosmology; dark energy; modified gravity

(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)

Top Quark Physics: Recent Developments and Future Directions

edited by Yajuan Zheng and Ian Lewis

submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 171 | 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)

Primordial Black Holes: Observational Strategies

edited by

Jeremy Mould

submission deadline 3 May 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1097 | Submission Open

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

edited by

Polychronis Koliogiannis

and

Charalampos Moustakidis

submission deadline 15 May 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1847 | 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)

Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime and Its Implications for Cosmology, Blackholes and Quantum Gravity, 2nd Edition

edited by Korumilli Sravan Kumar and

Joao Marto

submission deadline 15 May 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1113 | 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)

Exploring Low-Frequency Gravitational Wave Sources: Waveforms, Detection and Sciences

edited by Wenbiao Han, Ziren Luo and Shucheng Yang

submission deadline 22 May 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 6852 | 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

Arnab Dasgupta

submission deadline 31 May 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3089 | 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)

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 May 2026 | Viewed by 324 | Submission Open

Keywords: string theory; particle physics; supersymmetry; quantum gravity; cosmology

Strong Gravitational Lensing in Observational Astrophysics and Cosmology

edited by

Jingzhao Qi

submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 193 | 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

Ioana Dutan

submission deadline 19 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 302 | 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

Iarley P. Lobo

submission deadline 26 Jun 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2707 | 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)

Current Status of the Hubble Tension

edited by

Giovanni Montani

Eleonora Di Valentino

and Nakia Carlevaro

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 9431 | 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)

Celebrating the 110th Anniversary of General Relativity: Advances, Challenges and Perspectives

edited by

Lorenzo Iorio

and

Øyvind Grøn

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 11 articles | Viewed by 8553 | Submission Open

Keywords: general relativity; 110th anniversary; gravitation; cosmology; challenges in gravitational physics

(This special issue belongs to the Section Gravitation)

Search for New Physics Through Combined Approaches

edited by Yang Zhang and

Fei Wang

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2967 | 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 | Viewed by 416 | 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

Jianchao Xue

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 362 | 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)

Asteroseismology: Probing Stellar Interiors Through Oscillation Modes

edited by

Tao Wu

, Kuldeep Verma and

Jia-Shu Niu

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 133 | 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)

Hairy Black Holes: Insights and Advances

edited by

Xiao Yan Chew

and Jose Luis Blázquez-Salcedo

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 119 | 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)

Ultralight Dark Matter: Theory and Observation

edited by Arnab Dasgupta

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 89 | Submission Open

Keywords: ultralight dark matter; bosonic fields; coherent field; axion; ALP; fuzzy dark matter

(This special issue belongs to the Section Cosmology)

HE/VHE Gamma-Ray in Extragalactic-Astrophysics: Observations, Models, and Cosmic Implications

edited by

Zhiyuan Pei

and

Hubing Xiao

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 85 | 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)

Selected Papers from the 3rd International Online Conference on Universe (IOCU 2026)

edited by

and

submission deadline 20 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 135 | 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

Advances in Machine Learning Techniques in Cosmology and Particle Physics

edited by Esteban González and

Carlos Maldonado

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 93 | 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

Nataša Bon

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 82 | 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)

X-Ray Binary Transients: Insights and Discoveries

edited by Ignacio Negueruela

submission deadline 21 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 51 | Submission Open

Keywords: X-ray binaries; transient astrophysics; accretion physics; compact objects; time-domain astronomy

(This special issue belongs to the Section Compact Objects)

Displaying special issue 1-50 on page 1 of 2.

Go to page 1 2

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issues

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI