Journal profile · Physics, Multidisciplinary
Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications
ISSN 0378-4371 · eISSN 1873-2119 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Semimonthly · Founded 1975
Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications: CAS Zone 2 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.25; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; review about 108 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy; 777 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Physics & Astronomy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Theoretical and Computational Physics, Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis and Complex Network Analysis Techniques, together about 31.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Statistical and Nonlinear Physics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications publishes high-quality fundamental and applied research in the field of statistical physics. The journal emphasizes the development and application of statistical mechanics methods to understand the behavior of microscopic, mesoscopic, and macroscopic systems across diverse disciplines.Research articles should explicitly utilize concepts, models, and techniques from statistical mechanics to address relevant problems. Applied studies are welcome when they demonstrate clear connections to statistical physics principles.Application Domains (with emphasis on statistical mechanics)Soft and Hard Condensed Matter:Statistical mechanics of gases, liquids, colloids, polymers, glasses, complex fluids, superfluids, metals, insulators, superconductors, topological materials.Biological Systems and Biophysics:Statistical mechanics-based studies of active matter, cellular processes, biological signaling, noise, fluctuations, and systems biology.Chemical Systems:Statistical mechanics approaches to reaction kinetics, phase transitions, and molecular interactions.Complex Networks and Complex Systems:Applications of statistical mechanics to socio-economic networks, financial markets, agent-based models, systemic risk, and the science of science.Interdisciplinary and Social Sciences:Models and analyses of economic and social systems, cultural and political complexity, and computational social science grounded in statistical mechanics principles.Traffic, Transportation, and Collective Dynamics:Statistical mechanics frameworks for vehicular traffic, pedestrian and evacuation dynamics, swarm behavior, intracellular transport, and models of collective motion.Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena:Theoretical and experimental investigations of phase behavior and critical phenomena utilizing statistical mechanics methods.Artificial Intelligence and Data-Driven Methods:Applications to deep learning, genetic algorithms, and other AI techniques that explicitly incorporate concepts and methods of statistical mechanics.Other Interdisciplinary Areas:Novel insights and modeling approaches where statistical physics provides a foundational framework.Subfields CoveredThe journal welcomes submissions using statistical mechanics in the following subfields:Soft matterBiophysicsActive matterSystems biologyChemical physicsEconophysicsSociophysics and detrended fluctuation analysisTraffic and crowd movementHard matterSpin modelsQuantum systemsComplex systemsNeural networks, deep learning, and genetic algorithmsRecommender systems, information and complex networksStochastic processes and gamesOther topicsDomains Not CoveredPhysica A does not publish research primarily focused on:General physics outside the scope of statistical mechanics.Pure mathematical statistics, statistical applications, or mathematical methods unrelated to statistical physics.Mechanics, fluid mechanics, or mechanical engineering.Economic or econometric studies that do not explicitly employ statistical mechanics frameworks.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Physics, Multidisciplinary
Editor-in-chief Joseph IndekeuPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 6 in mainland China (about 8%); most named Italy 12, United States 10, Brazil 9, Mainland China 6, Japan 4 (77 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Theoretical and Computational PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy12.1%
- Complex Systems and Time Series AnalysisEconomics, Econometrics and Finance10.9%
- Complex Network Analysis TechniquesPhysics and Astronomy8.6%
- Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical MechanicsPhysics and Astronomy7%
- Opinion Dynamics and Social InfluencePhysics and Astronomy6.2%
- Material Dynamics and PropertiesMaterials Science4.9%
- Statistical Mechanics and EntropyPhysics and Astronomy4.9%
- Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern FormationComputer Science3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Physics & Astronomy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Physics & Astronomy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Physics & Astronomy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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
- 3.25LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.65LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.07LetPub ·
- h-index
- 141LetPub ·
- h-index
- 236OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 16,217OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.05OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 15.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 11.3%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 753LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 33,619 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 731 | 245 | 220 |
| 2025 | 777 | 171 | 1,952 |
| 2024 | 672 | 155 | 4,475 |
| 2023 | 787 | 203 | 7,976 |
| 2022 | 844 | 259 | 11,603 |
| 2021 | 836 | 273 | 12,431 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
108 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 7.3 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 7.3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 46 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 108 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 7 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 3,550 / EUR 3,320 / GBP 2,840 / JPY 440,310 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,310 | — | — |
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 papers6, by deadline
- 50 years of Physica A: a tribute to Hans CapelDeadline
- AI-Empowered Traffic Flow Modeling in Heterogeneous Traffic SystemsDeadline
- Mpemba Effect: An Anomalous Relaxation PhenomenonDeadline
- Statistical mechanics for Artificial LearningDeadline
- Interfaces and WettingDeadline
- Smart Airport as A Transportation Hub: Collective Dynamics and Modelling Approaches in Traffic and Pedestrian Flows (VSI: Smart Airport Hub)Deadline
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX
Article types accepted5
- commentsComments As with articles, the editors may be selective in deciding what material is forwarded for consideration.Length not stated
- editorialOnly papers not previously published will be accepted and authors must agree not to publish elsewhere a paper submitted to and accepted by the journal. Authors …Length not stated
- mini reviewOnly papers not previously published will be accepted and authors must agree not to publish elsewhere a paper submitted to and accepted by the journal. Authors …Length not stated
- research paperPapers have a maximum length of 30 pages.Length not stated
- reviewOnly papers not previously published will be accepted and authors must agree not to publish elsewhere a paper submitted to and accepted by the journal. Authors …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1975
- ISSN
- 0378-4371
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-2119
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications
What CAS zone is Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications is in Zone 2 of Physics & Astronomy, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Physics, Multidisciplinary. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Physics & Astronomy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.25; CiteScore 6.7, h-index 236.
How long does peer review take at Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications?
The publisher reports about 108 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 7.3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. 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 Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX. 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 Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications based?
Of the 77 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 6 (about 8%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Italy (12), United States (10) and Brazil (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications open access, and what is the APC?
Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .