Journal profile · Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Contributions to Plasma Physics
ISSN 0863-1042 · eISSN 1521-3986 · Wiley-VCH Verlag · GERMANY · Bimonthly
Contributions to Plasma Physics: CAS Zone 4 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.08; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,930; median 107 days to acceptance (80 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 111 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Contributions to Plasma Physics is published by Wiley-VCH Verlag and is in Zone 4 of Physics & Astronomy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Magnetic confinement fusion research, Dust and Plasma Wave Phenomena and Plasma Diagnostics and Applications, together about 37.6% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The journal Contributions to Plasma Physics is a pure online Journal (since 2011). Aims and Scope of Contributions to Plasma Physics: Basic physics of low-temperature plasmas Strongly correlated non-ideal plasmas Dusty Plasmas Plasma discharges - microplasmas, reactive, and atmospheric pressure plasmas Plasma diagnostics Plasma-surface interaction Plasma technology Plasma medicine Papers advancing these areas through experimental, theoretical, and numerical contributions are particularly welcome. In addition, submission of manuscripts stimulating the increase of knowledge through interdisciplinary collaboration with neighboring fields is highly encouraged. ISSN: Previously 0863-1042 (print). 1521-3986 (online). Currently 10 issues per year. How to cite: To make sure that references to this journal are correctly recorded and resolved (for example in CrossRef, PubMed, or ISI Web of Knowledge), please use the following abbreviated title in any citations: "Contrib. Plasma Phys." (punctuation may vary according to the style of the citing journal).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Germany 9, France 1, Czechia 1, Hungary 1 (12 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Magnetic confinement fusion researchPhysics and Astronomy15.1%
- Dust and Plasma Wave PhenomenaPhysics and Astronomy11.4%
- Plasma Diagnostics and ApplicationsEngineering11.1%
- Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamicsPhysics and Astronomy10.6%
- Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasmaEngineering6.6%
- Atomic and Molecular PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy6.6%
- Fusion materials and technologiesMaterials Science5%
- Laser-Plasma Interactions and DiagnosticsPhysics and Astronomy4.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Physics & Astronomy Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Fluids & Plasmas | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Physics & Astronomy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Physics, Fluids & Plasmas | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Physics & Astronomy Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Fluids & Plasmas | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexWeb of SciencePublisher website
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 1.08LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.1Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.36LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.57LetPub ·
- h-index
- 42LetPub ·
- h-index
- 60OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,051OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.16OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 20.58%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 82LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 83Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 62,520Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,382 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 108 | 39 | 34 |
| 2025 | 111 | 56 | 116 |
| 2024 | 129 | 78 | 252 |
| 2023 | 89 | 54 | 246 |
| 2022 | 116 | 34 | 505 |
| 2021 | 121 | 34 | 540 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
107 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 60 days – 169 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 15 days (81 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 127 days
- Sample
- 80 articles with submission and acceptance dates (214 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 43%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 43%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 24 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 24 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 94 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 15 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,930 / EUR 2,450 / GBP 1,970 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Other fees
- Charged; see the journal's website for the amount
- Page charges
- No page charges
- Submission fee
- No submission fee
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Optional
Article types accepted6
- letterResearch Articles are the journal's most common type of publication. A length of up to 10 layout pages - about 6,000 words excl. references and up to 8 display …Length not stated
- rapid communicationResearch Articles are the journal's most common type of publication. A length of up to 10 layout pages - about 6,000 words excl. references and up to 8 display …Length not stated
- research articleResearch Articles are the journal's most common type of publication. A length of up to 10 layout pages - about 6,000 words excl. references and up to 8 display …Length not stated
- research articlesResearch Articles are the journal's most common type of publication. A length of up to 10 layout pages - about 6,000 words excl. references and up to 8 display …Length not stated
- reviewResearch Articles are the journal's most common type of publication. A length of up to 10 layout pages - about 6,000 words excl. references and up to 8 display …Length not stated
- reviewsReviews will usually be written at the invitation of the Editors. Unsolicited reviews will be highly welcome but authors wishing to submit a review are requeste…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- Authorship Authorship
All listed authors should have contributed to the manuscript substantially and have agreed to the final submitted version. Review editorial standards and scroll down for a description of authorship criteria.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflict of Interest Statement
Authors will be asked to provide a conflict of interest statement during the submission process. For details on what to include in this section, see the 'Conflict of Interest' section in the Appendix section below. Submitting authors should ensure they liaise with all co-authors to confirm agreement with the final statement.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Availability
Data availability statement required. Model summary
This journal expects that data supporting the results in the paper will be archived in an appropriate public repository. Authors are required to provide a Data Availability Statement (DAS) to describe the availability or the absence of shared data. When data have been shared, authors are required to include in their Data Availability Statement a link to the repository they have used, and to cite t…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics 4. EDITORIAL POLICIES AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Peer Review This journal operates under a single-anonymized peer review model. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements. All contributions will be evaluated according to the standard procedures of peer review, usually by two referees. To facilitate the refereeing process, you may provide the names a…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is the author’s responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
This journal is a subscription journal that offers an open access option. You’ll have the option to choose to make your article open access after acceptance, which will be subject to an Article Publication Charge (APC). Read more about APCs here.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review
Single-anonymized peer review model. Model summary
This journal operates under a single-anonymized peer review model. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements. All contributions will be evaluated according to the standard procedures of peer review, usually by two referees. To facilitate the refereeing process, you may provide the names and email add…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint Policy
Preprint policy: accepts preprints. Model summary
This journal accepts articles previously published on preprint servers.Contributions to Plasma Physics will consider for review articles previously available as preprints. You may also post the submitted version of a manuscript to a preprint server at any time. You are requested to update any pre-publication versions with a link to the final published article.Please find the Wiley preprint policy …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The journal requires that clinical trials are prospectively registered in a publicly accessible database and clinical trial registration numbers should be included in all papers that report their results. Authors are asked to include the name of the trial register and the clinical trial registration number at the end of the abstract. If the trial is not registered, or was registered retrospectivel…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Wiley-VCH Verlag
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- ISSN
- 0863-1042
- Electronic ISSN
- 1521-3986
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 66, Issue 6 (July 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Contributions to Plasma Physics
What CAS zone is Contributions to Plasma Physics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Contributions to Plasma Physics is in Zone 4 of Physics & Astronomy, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Physics, Fluids & Plasmas. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Physics & Astronomy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Contributions to Plasma Physics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.08; CiteScore 2.6, h-index 60.
How long does peer review take at Contributions to Plasma Physics?
Based on the dates recorded on 80 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 107 days (interquartile range 60–169 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 43% (2025). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Contributions to Plasma Physics?
According to the journal's author guidelines: First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Cover letter: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Contributions to Plasma Physics based?
Of the 12 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (9), France (1) and Czechia (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Contributions to Plasma Physics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Contributions to Plasma Physics is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex and Web of Science; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Contributions to Plasma Physics open access, and what is the APC?
Contributions to Plasma Physics is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,930.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .