Journal profile · CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL-MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E
ISSN 1292-8941 · eISSN 1292-895X · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · FRANCE · Monthly · Founded 2000
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E: CAS Zone 4 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.58; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,153; median 95 days to acceptance (104 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 80 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg 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 Material Dynamics and Properties, Liquid Crystal Research Advancements and Surfactants and Colloidal Systems, together about 26.2% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
AimsEPJ E publishes papers describing advances in the understanding of physical aspects of Soft, Liquid and Living Systems. Soft matter is a generic term for a large group of condensed, often heterogeneous systems -- often also called complex fluids -- that display a large response to weak external perturbations and that possess properties governed by slow internal dynamics. Flowing matter refers to all systems that can actually flow, from simple to multiphase liquids, from foams to granular matter. Living matter concerns the new physics that emerges from novel insights into the properties and behaviours of living systems. Furthermore, it aims at developing new concepts and quantitative approaches for the study of biological phenomena. Approaches from soft matter physics and statistical physics play a key role in this research. The journal includes reports of experimental, computational and theoretical studies and appeals to the broad interdisciplinary communities including physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and materials science. ScopeI. Soft MatterPolymers and PolyelectrolytesGels, rubbers, networksCrystalline, glassy and molten polymersAmphiphilic systems Liquid CrystalsThermotropic and lyotropic phasesLiquid crystalline polymers and elastomersSelf-organised and Supramolecular AssembliesPurpose-designed organic moleculesHierarchical structuresFoams, emulsions and dispersionsSurfactantsColloids and NanoparticlesColloids and nanoparticles as model systemsGlasses, aggregates and fragilityFerrofluidsFunctional Materials and NanodevicesSmart materialsDNA based nanotechnologyTuneable, switchable, and addressable propertiesSemiconducting polymers and molecular electronics: structure and morphologyInterfacial Phenomena and Nanostructured SurfacesAdhesion and frictionSoft lithography, materials pattern II. Flowing Matter Liquids and Complex FluidsStructure and dynamics of dense liquidsViscoelasticity, rheology and rheophysicsPhase behaviourActive Fluids Granular MaterialsPacking and elasticityDynamics, dissipation and flow behavior, slurriesTransport and jammingInterfacial PhenomenaCapillarity, wetting and spreadingMicrofluidics and interfacial flows, foam and emulsions rheology Nonlinear Physics and Mesoscale ModelingMultiscale hydrodynamicsNon-equilibrium dynamics, instabilities, pattern formationTransport processes, multiphase flowsTurbulenceComputational fluid dynamics – Lattice Boltzmann methods III. Living Systems Biological MatterDNA, RNA and chroma
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL-MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Editor-in-chief Fabrizio CroccoloPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 8%); most named France 7, Germany 3, Mainland China 2, United States 1, United Kingdom 1 (26 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Material Dynamics and PropertiesMaterials Science12.9%
- Liquid Crystal Research AdvancementsMaterials Science8%
- Surfactants and Colloidal SystemsChemistry5.3%
- Micro and Nano RoboticsPhysics and Astronomy5.3%
- Theoretical and Computational PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy5.3%
- Electrostatics and Colloid InteractionsChemistry4.7%
- Lipid Membrane Structure and BehaviorBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.5%
- Force Microscopy Techniques and ApplicationsPhysics and Astronomy4.5%
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 | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Polymer Science | 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 | Chemistry, Physical | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Polymer Science | Zone 3 |
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 | Chemistry, Physical | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Polymer Science | 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 CompendexMEDLINEINSPECCASCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 2.58LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.41LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.77LetPub ·
- h-index
- 84LetPub ·
- h-index
- 116OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,097OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.23OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 29.78%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 75LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 713,900Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,627 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 95 | 62 | 31 |
| 2025 | 80 | 44 | 228 |
| 2024 | 72 | 34 | 293 |
| 2023 | 137 | 67 | 1,162 |
| 2022 | 103 | 60 | 605 |
| 2021 | 153 | 100 | 1,744 |
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
95 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 71 days – 124 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 27 days (104 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 130 days
- Sample
- 104 articles with submission and acceptance dates (173 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)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous 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 | EUR 2,790 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Required
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted5
- colloquiaColloquia describe the development of new areas of research or the impact of new and promising experimental or theoretical methods in the fields that are within…Length not stated
- comments and repliesComments and Replies include discussion and commentary addressing significant aspects of the original paper but without a) representing essentially new papers, …Length not stated
- regular articleRegular Articles, which are original research papers that report results in the domain of Soft Matter, Flowing Matter and Living Systems.Length not stated
- tips and tricksTips and Tricks (T&T) are short peer-reviewed papers that focus on a novel methodological approach that facilitates new science.Length not stated
- topical reviewsTopical Reviews provide a comprehensive and extensive summary of recent research results in a field that is within the spectrum of topics covered by EPJ E and a…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
LLMs cannot be authors. Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data availability statement required for all original research. Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in The European Physical Journal E, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Single-blind peer review
Reviewer suggestion/exclusion allowed. Model summary
This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general. Additionally, if a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the peer review process. Back to top
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
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- FRANCE
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 2000
- ISSN
- 1292-8941
- Electronic ISSN
- 1292-895X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E
What CAS zone is EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E is in Zone 4 of Physics & Astronomy, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Materials Science, Multidisciplinary / Physics, Applied / Polymer Science. 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 EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.58; CiteScore 4, h-index 116.
How long does peer review take at EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E?
Based on the dates recorded on 104 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 95 days (interquartile range 71–124 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. 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 EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Graphical abstract: Required; Cover letter: Required. 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 EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E based?
Of the 26 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 8%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are France (7), Germany (3) and Mainland China (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, MEDLINE, INSPEC, CAS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E open access, and what is the APC?
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL E is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,153.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .