Journal profile · Physics, Multidisciplinary
Reviews of Modern Physics
ISSN 0034-6861 · eISSN 1539-0756 · American Physical Society · UNITED STATES · Quarterly · Founded 1929
Reviews of Modern Physics: CAS Zone 1 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 48.63; subscription journal; median 709 days to acceptance (14 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: mostly invited papers; 45 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Reviews of Modern Physics is published by American Physical Society and is in Zone 1 of Physics & Astronomy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies, Nuclear physics research studies and Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism, together about 21.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics and Nuclear and High Energy Physics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
5 June, 2026Vacuum breakdown or arcing happens when a very strong electric field causes a metal surface in a vacuum to suddenly form plasma, allowing large electrical currents to flow. Breakdown can damage particle accelerators, fusion reactors, satellites, and x-ray devices, though it is useful in technologies like plasma thrusters. Scientists have studied this unpredictable and fast phenomenon for over a century. Recent advances in experiments and computer simulations now provide a coherent mechanistic picture: tiny surface defects, electrical stress, heat, and emitted particles interact in complex ways to trigger breakdowns. These insights could improve high-power technologies and make advanced accelerators more reliable and efficient.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Physics, Multidisciplinary
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 12, Germany 4, France 3, Japan 2, India 2 (28 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 Astronomy7.3%
- Nuclear physics research studiesPhysics and Astronomy7%
- Physics of Superconductivity and MagnetismPhysics and Astronomy6.8%
- Quantum Chromodynamics and Particle InteractionsPhysics and Astronomy6.6%
- Atomic and Molecular PhysicsPhysics and Astronomy5.7%
- Quantum Mechanics and ApplicationsPhysics and Astronomy5.6%
- Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein CondensatesPhysics and Astronomy5.3%
- Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamicsPhysics and Astronomy5.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Physics & Astronomy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: yes
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Physics & Astronomy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Physics & Astronomy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: yes
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
INSPECPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar
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
- 48.63LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 48.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 80.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 80.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 13.04LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher)
- 13.04Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 15.46LetPub ·
- h-index
- 298LetPub ·
- h-index
- 619OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,049OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 34.87OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 22LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 32Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 82,728Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,665 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 27 | 8 | 62 |
| 2025 | 45 | 22 | 1,120 |
| 2024 | 35 | 20 | 2,549 |
| 2023 | 36 | 27 | 6,015 |
| 2022 | 38 | 31 | 7,054 |
| 2021 | 33 | 28 | 13,297 |
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
709 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 580 days – 958 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 0 days (16 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 709 days
- Sample
- 14 articles with submission and acceptance dates (82 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 acceptance (community reports)
- Mostly invited papersLetPub ·
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
Subscription journalLetPub
A subscription journal: articles are read by subscription or purchase, and authors usually pay no publication charge.
No source has fee information yet; check the journal's website.
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)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Open access
- AI use American Physical Society releases updated AI policy for APS journals17 June, 2026
AI tools may be used by authors and reviewers with boundaries preserving human oversight and accountability. Model summary
The policy allows authors and reviewers to use AI tools and establishes boundaries to preserve human oversight and accountability.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
At the core of APS's mission is a commitment to meeting the needs of physicists, a community that has been at the leading edge of open access. Articles published in RMP benefit from the following initiatives: APS makes its journals free to read at U.S. public libraries and high schools by application. Contact publisher@aps.org for more information. APS is a founding member of CHORUS, which enables…
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
- American Physical Society
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1929
- ISSN
- 0034-6861
- Electronic ISSN
- 1539-0756
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 98 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Reviews of Modern Physics
What CAS zone is Reviews of Modern Physics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Reviews of Modern Physics is in Zone 1 of Physics & Astronomy, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Physics, Multidisciplinary; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Physics & Astronomy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Reviews of Modern Physics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 48.63; CiteScore 80.3, h-index 619.
How long does peer review take at Reviews of Modern Physics?
Based on the dates recorded on 14 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 709 days (interquartile range 580–958 days); the community-reported acceptance is “Mostly invited papers”. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Reviews of Modern Physics based?
Of the 28 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (12), Germany (4) and France (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Reviews of Modern Physics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Reviews of Modern Physics is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists INSPEC; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Reviews of Modern Physics open access, and what is the APC?
Reviews of Modern Physics is a subscription journal. Fee information is not available yet; check the journal's website.
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: .