Journal profile · Physics, Multidisciplinary
Physics Letters B
ISSN 0370-2693 · eISSN 1873-2445 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Weekly · Founded 1967
Physics Letters B: CAS Zone 2 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 5.07; diamond open access (no APC); no APC; review about 91 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard (Elsevier website: 45%); 892 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Physics Letters B 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 Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies, Quantum Chromodynamics and Particle Interactions and Black Holes and Theoretical Physics, together about 48.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Nuclear and High Energy Physics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Particle Physics, Nuclear Physics and CosmologyPhysics Letters B ensures the rapid publication of important new results in particle physics, nuclear physics and cosmology. Specialized editors are responsible for contributions in experimental nuclear physics, theoretical nuclear physics, experimental high-energy physics, theoretical high-energy physics, astrophysics, astroparticle physics and cosmology.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Physics, Multidisciplinary
Editor-in-chief Gian F. GiudicePublisher website
Editorial board by country: 4 in mainland China (about 15%); most named United States 6, Switzerland 5, Mainland China 4, United Kingdom 2, Japan 2 (27 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Particle physics theoretical and experimental studiesPhysics and Astronomy19.3%
- Quantum Chromodynamics and Particle InteractionsPhysics and Astronomy17.4%
- Black Holes and Theoretical PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy11.8%
- High-Energy Particle Collisions ResearchPhysics and Astronomy10.3%
- Cosmology and Gravitation TheoriesPhysics and Astronomy7.7%
- Nuclear physics research studiesPhysics and Astronomy6.1%
- Dark Matter and Cosmic PhenomenaPhysics and Astronomy3.2%
- Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity TheoriesPhysics and Astronomy3.2%
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 | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Nuclear | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Particles & Fields | 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 | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Nuclear | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Particles & Fields | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Physics & Astronomy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Nuclear | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Physics, Particles & Fields | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
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
- 5.07LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.25LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.26LetPub ·
- h-index
- 246LetPub ·
- h-index
- 447OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 42,890OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.49OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 99.91%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 770LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 68,199 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 853 | 853 | 600 |
| 2025 | 892 | 892 | 3,948 |
| 2024 | 792 | 792 | 6,839 |
| 2023 | 765 | 765 | 10,153 |
| 2022 | 694 | 694 | 11,582 |
| 2021 | 746 | 746 | 15,707 |
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
91 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 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 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 45%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 38 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 91 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 15 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Diamond open access (no APC)DOAJ
Every article is open access and authors pay no article processing charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | No APC | No | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | USD 0 | — | — | |
| LetPub | No APC | No | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Optional
Article types accepted2
- letterLetters: The total length of the paper should preferably not exceed six journal pages, equivalent to ten typewritten pages with double spacing, excluding the li…Length not stated
- lettersArticle typesLetters: The total length of the paper should preferably not exceed six journal pages, equivalent to ten typewritten pages with double spacing, exc…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
Follows Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy 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 one reviewer 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.Rea…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed; does not count as prior publication 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
- English
- Frequency
- Weekly
- Founded
- 1967
- ISSN
- 0370-2693
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-2445
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Physics Letters B
What CAS zone is Physics Letters B in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Physics Letters B is in Zone 2 of Physics & Astronomy, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Astronomy & Astrophysics / Physics, Nuclear / Physics, Particles & Fields. 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 Physics Letters B?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 5.07; CiteScore 8, h-index 447.
How long does peer review take at Physics Letters B?
The publisher reports about 91 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly hard (Elsevier website: 45%)”. 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 Physics Letters B?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: 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 Physics Letters B based?
Of the 27 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 4 (about 15%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (6), Switzerland (5) and Mainland China (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Physics Letters B?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Physics Letters B is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Physics Letters B open access, and what is the APC?
Physics Letters B is a diamond open-access journal (no APC). It charges no article processing charge.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; 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: .