Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays: Past, Present and Future
A special issue of Universe (ISSN 2218-1997). This special issue belongs to the section "Space Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 45
Special Issue Editors
Interests: very-high energy astrophysics; detectors; artificial intelligence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cosmic rays, one of the main pillars of modern astrophysics, convey valuable information about distant energetic objects and phenomena in the universe. These charged particles range from electrons and protons to iron nuclei, with their energies extending across eleven orders of magnitude. The propagation of these particles through magnetic fields scatters their initial trajectories such that, by the time they reach Earth, their original sources become obscured.
Upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, cosmic rays with energies exceeding approximately 1 GeV (10⁹ eV) initiate extensive cascades of secondary particles and radiation. These cascades can be observed using various distributed detection systems, whose scale and complexity vary significantly depending on the energy’s range of interest.
Modern observatories now reach energies of 1 EeV (1018 eV) and beyond, with technological studies entering an era of ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray (UHECR) research and revealing the extragalactic origin of these particles. Decades of UHECR observations have revealed their properties and their connections with uncharged messengers: neutrinos and gamma rays.
In this Special Issue, we welcome the submission of articles that review key historical results, highlight advances in the field of multi-messenger astronomy, and discuss future projects.
Dr. Dmitriy Kostunin
Dr. Vladimir Lenok
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Universe is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- ultra-high energy cosmic rays
- astrophysical neutrino
- high-energy gamma rays
- multimessenger astronomy
- cosmic accelerators
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
