We are delighted to see the early signs of spring returning here in Les Ulis, Paris. Here we share a few updates regarding recent conferences, and a shift in our social media presence towards platforms that support our values of professionalism, transparency, and community-driven dialogue.

From Strangeness in Quark Matter to Nuclear Chemistry for Sustainable Fuel Cycles : EPJ Web of Conferences publishes two notable proceedings from French events

“SQM 2024 – The 21st International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter was held in Strasbourg, France, June 3-7, 2024

This 2024 edition marked the 21^st in the series and was held in France for the first time. It was also the first fully “in-person” edition since the pandemic. A total of 280 participants from 26 countries convened at the Palais de la Musique et des Congrès in Strasbourg to discuss recent experimental and theoretical advancements during a week-long programme including 210 oral and poster presentations.

The focus of the Strangeness in Quark Matter Conference is on the role of the strange and heavy-flavour quarks in the field of ultra–relativistic nucleus–nucleus collisions, Quark Gluon Plasma physics and in astrophysical phenomena. Specific time is devoted to open questions and new developments as well as lectures dedicated to graduate students and young scientists.”

If this EPJ Highlight has piqued your interest, you can read the full proceedings in open access now.

B. Hippolyte (chair), C. Cheshkov, R. Guernane and A. Maire (Eds.), 21st International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter (SQM 2024), Strasbourg, France, June 3-7, 2024, EPJ Web of Conferences 316 (2025)

Organised by the French Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), the 6th International ATALANTE Conference on Nuclear Chemistry for Sustainable Fuel Cycles (ATALANTE-2024) was held in Avignon, France, Sept 1-6 2024

The event explored “subjects and issues that cover almost all the fields of the nuclear chemistry related to the nuclear fuel cycles:

• Actinide and fission product chemistry
• Uranium ore processing and purification
• Actinide separation
• Pyrochemistry and chemistry for molten salt reactor
• Actinide material & fuel fabrication
• Waste conditioning and long-term evolution
• Nuclear chemistry for geological repository
• Safeguards and analytical developments”

The full proceedings can be read in open access now.

P. Guilbaud (Ed.), 6th International ATALANTE Conference on Nuclear Chemistry for Sustainable Fuel Cycles (ATALANTE-2024), Avignon, France, September 1-6, 2024, EPJ Web of Conferences 317 (2025)

Nurting community dialogue on social media

EPL is now on Bluesky

Please follow https://bsky.app/profile/epljournal.bsky.socialfor the latest news and articles, including Free-to-Read Editor’s Choice and Perspectives.

EDP Sciences leaves Twitter/X

The academic world is changing, and so are we. On 31^st January 2025, EDP Sciences left Twitter/X as part of the #HelloQuitX movement, in favour of prioritising platforms that support our values. This decision reflects our commitment to professionalism, transparency, and community-driven dialogue. Follow us on LinkedIn, BlueSky, and our website for the latest updates.

Perpetual access to digital archives

We would like to take the opportunity to remind you that value is still being found in our digital archive collections, and that purchase of these gives perpetual access to this valuable science.

Journal de Physique digital archives (1872 to 1997)

We were delighted to conduct research in 2024 and discover that many articles in the Journal de Physique archives are still being cited today. The collection includes research from pioneers in physics, including Nobel laureates such as Marie Curie and Louis de Broglie, both of whom were instrumental in founding EDP Sciences in 1920.

Discover the Journal de Physique archives, including the most cited articles in the collection. 

Annales de Physique digital archives (1914 to 2009)

For many years, Alain Aspect, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2022, was the Editor in Chief of the Annales de Physique. This collection now forms part of the archive of The European Physical Journal (EPJ), an ongoing series of peer-reviewed journals covering the whole spectrum of physics and related interdisciplinary subjects.

Learn more about the Annales de Physique archives.

Author: EDP Sciences

We are pleased to share the latest news from EDP Sciences.

News from the European Physical Journal (EPJ)

Joint meeting of the Scientific Advisory and Steering Committees of the European Physical Journal

Image credit: Maria Sutter

For two days in April, more than 40 representatives of national physical societies and of the EPJ publishers and many of the journals’ Chief Editors gathered at EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) near Zurich under the chairmanship of the Swiss Physical Society to discuss all aspects of modern scientific publishing - ranging from individual journal development to improving support for early career researchers and the implementation of DEI principles at all levels.

In particular, the EPS Young Minds’ invited talk provided some excellent insights into what the next generation of scientists feels in terms of constraints and opportunities in this context. 2023 marks the 25^th anniversary of the launch of the EPJ and, as part of this year’s special initiatives, EPJ expressly invites young career researchers organizing, specifically, meetings for their peers to apply for sponsorship.

EPJ Applied Physics – topical issue

EPJ AP is pleased to announce completion of the special issue on “Amorphous alloys and multiscale materials: Fundamental aspects and Energy applications” edited by Zhao Zhankui, Wang Hongli and Tai Cheuk-Wai. We hope you enjoy the articles which include “Micro- and nano-sized materials for solar evaporators: a review”.

EPJ Photovoltaics – Editorial Board

EPJ Photovoltaics is pleased to share its updated Editorial Board under Editors-in-Chief Prof. Pere Roca i Cabarrocas, Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces, and Dr. Jean-Louis Lazzari, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille. Editors from Europe are joined by international colleagues from Qatar, Australia and Japan.

EPJ N Nuclear Sciences & Technologies – new ‘Key Summary’

“Optimising spent nuclear fuel storage in Europe” is the latest ‘Key Summary’ from EPJ N and looks at an extensive review in EPJ N by members of the EURAD consortium. The review explores the parameters involved in choosing safe long-term storage solutions for spent radioactive fuel and recommends best practice for the industry. The ‘Key Summary’ also hears from author Dimitri Alexandre Rochman.

Astronomy & Astrophysics and Subscribe to Open (S2O)

Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A) recently announced that it will continue to publish its research in open access for the second consecutive year under Subscribe to Open (S2O). In contrast to other core astronomy journals that have transitioned or will transition to open access via the Gold (APC) route, A&A has chosen S2O to achieve immediate open access while minimizing any potential disruption to authors or subscribers. Find out more.

Société Française de Physique 150^th anniversary – Master classes itinérantes

The first in a series of five Masterclasses on “Science publishing and Open Science” recently took place in Nice. Next stop Lyon for which registration is still open!

German Physical Society Spring Meeting - Europhysics Letters

There were four winners of the “EPL best poster prizes” at the Spring Meeting of the German Physical Society (DPG) that took place from 26-31 March 2023 at the Technical University Dresden. Congratulations to Anna C. Jäkel, Aleksandr Kostarev, Nico Schramma and Laura Strampe.

Book news - The Basics of Electron Transport in Spintronics

‘The basics of electron transport in Spintronics – Textbook with lectures, exercises and solutions’ by Vincent Baltz, CNRS researcher and group leader at SPINTEC. Based on a series of lectures given to MSc and PhD students, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers, from students at the graduate level to researchers and engineers. It allows the reader to navigate easily between concepts and to gain a broad view of spin-dependent electron transport. Learning is supported by ten extended exercises with complete solutions. Order directly from the EDP Sciences Bookstore or via your favourite online book shop.

Don’t forget our SFP anniversary books discount code - PHYS234 - valid until the end of June 2024! We are delighted to offer a 5% discount on EDP Sciences books in the following series: Savoirs Actuels / Une introduction à / Sciences & History / Enseignement Sup Physique.

With our best wishes from ‘Paris in Spring’

EDP Sciences

Author: EPD Sciences

As Associate Members of EPS, we are always very pleased to share our latest news and updates and to connect with you through the e-EPS.

Subscribe-to-Open (S2O) – A&A and Maths

The Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A) Board of Directors and EDP Sciences are pleased to confirm that A&A will be published open access in 2022 under the terms of the Subscribe-to-Open (S2O) model. This follows the announcement in March by the Société de Mathématiques Appliquées et Industrielles (SMAI) and EDP Sciences that six mathematics journals will continue to publish in open access in 2022 under S2O. In addition we have published Subscribe-to-Open (S2O) 2022 Transparency Report. The annual report details costs and prices and other metrics related to the EDP Sciences-SMAI Subscribe-to-Open program.

EPJ Web of Conferences – open access proceedings

EPJ WoC (as you may see it)  is an important member of the European Physical Journal (EPJ) series. It recently published “mm Universe @ NIKA2 - Observing the mm Universe with the NIKA2 camera” (Volume 257). Marco De Petris, Dip. Fisica – Univ. Di Roma La Sapienza, commented “I really appreciated the professionalism of all the people with whom I interacted to carry out these proceedings. The collaboration received was very effective and allowed the proceedings to be completed in a very short time.”

Acta Acustica – audio articles 

For all acousticians, did you know Acta Acustica now publishes audio articles? The most recent is “Parameter identification of a physical model of brass instruments by constrained continuation” by Vincent Fréour et al. (read). To stay up to date with the latest open access acoustics research, sign up for free e-mail alerts or follow @ActaAcustica on Twitter.

Journal de Physique digital archives

We were fascinated to see the link between Mieczysław Wolfke and Louis de Broglie highlighted in last month’s e-EPS. Louis de Broglie helped to establish EDP Sciences and features in the Journal de Physique. His earliest contribution was “Rayonnement noir et quanta de lumière” in 1922! “There is undoubtedly educational value to reading ‘legacy papers’, and this holds true for articles written in any language.” Gaia Donati, Discovery through multi-lingual science archives.

Book – Einstein’s Witches’ Sabbath and the Early Solvay Councils

Also going back in time is our highlighted book, Einstein’s Witches’ Sabbath and the Early Solvay Councils which charts the seven Solvay Councils between 1911-1933. The sixth and seventh councils were chaired by Paul Langevin, another eminent physicist with strong connections to EDP Sciences. “The book focuses on the personal relations between the physicists who actively participated in the quantum revolution. These relations came under great strain during the Great War, but the Councils survived thanks to Lorentz’s and Solvay’s faith in the universality of science.” Find out more.

Looking forward in time, we can’t wait to meet many of you at the EPS Forum in June which will soon be with us. Wishing you all the best until then.

EDP Sciences

Author: Antoine Pochelon

The first issue of a new publication series of the Swiss Physical Society, SPS Focus, puts a focus on nuclear energy generation with fission, breeding, and fusion based technologies.

Although some countries have decided to completely stop generating electricity on the basis of nuclear energy or to phase it out in the next coming years, other nations are investing and increasing their portion of electricity produced based on nuclear technologies. This is especially true with regard to a hybrid mix of renewable and nuclear-generated energy, which is seen as the optimal approach, especially in the USA and China, in order to secure the growing demand for electrical energy from the point of view of climate protection.

In SPS Focus No 1, three renowned experts present the state of the art and progress made in new generation uranium fission plants, the useof thorium instead of uranium as fission fuel which brings along the possibility to further “burn” existing radioactive waste, and finally the roadmap of nuclear fusion concepts.

The print version has been sent to all 1200 SPS members, and to international decision makers and institutions. First positive reactions express the importance to reconsider nuclear technologies as a viable energy source; especially when considering climate protection and a net-zero emission of greenhouse gases in a low-carbon economy.

https://www.sps.ch/en/artikel/sps-focus/sps-focus-1

Nominations are now open for the position of Editor-in-Chief of EPL, a leading global letters journal owned and published by a consortium of 17 national physical societies in Europe. The Editor-in-Chief (EiC) needs to be a recognised authority and leading researcher in a field of physics, and have a broad knowledge and interest in physics and its frontiers. The EiC will need to demonstrate strong commitment and leadership to further develop EPL as a top-ranking journal. Experience with the editorial process for a physics journal is also desirable. The term of office is three and a half years beginning in July 2021. The EiC receives an annual honorarium. A job description is available here.

The submission documents must include a CV, a publication list and a covering letter describing the qualifications and motivations of the candidate for the position of EPL Editor-in-Chief.

The nomination file should be sent no later than 15 February 2021 to the EPL Editorial Office by email to editorial.office@epletters.net or by regular mail to:

EPS
EPL Editorial Office
6, rue des Frères Lumière
68200 Mulhouse
France