Physical Review D 'Under Review': What Each Status Means

Before the paper reaches external referees, a PRD divisional associate editor evaluates whether the particle physics significance warrants PRD's editorial slots. About 20 to 30 percent of submissions are desk-rejected within 1 to 2 weeks. A desk rejection most often means the editor concluded that the work would fit better at a sister APS journal (PRL for broad short-format Letters, PRA for atomic/molecular/optical, PRB for condensed matter, PRE for statistical/biological, PRX for broad open-access) or that the particle physics/gravitation/cosmology priority bar is not met.

The APS Editorial Office confirms files are complete: manuscript with figures embedded, Supporting Information, REVTeX template formatting, PhySH subject classification (required), data-availability statement (generated from author-supplied answers), cover letter directed to the editor, conflict-of-interest declarations, and ethics-statement documentation.

PRD assigns divisional associate editors based on subfield within approximately one week of submission. Subfields include particle physics phenomenology, particle physics experiment, lattice QCD, gravitation and cosmology theory, observational cosmology, and field-theoretic astrophysics.

The divisional associate editor reads the paper and evaluates particle physics significance, theoretical-or-experimental rigor, PhySH classification routing, and PRD subfield fit. Editors may conclude that a submitted manuscript is unlikely to move further in the review process and issue a rejection without external review.

In parallel with the primary divisional associate editor's read, interdisciplinary papers (e.g., spanning particle physics + cosmology, or gravitation + condensed matter) are discussed across the APS editorial team where peer divisional associate editors weigh in on whether the paper would fit better at PRD or at sister APS Physical Review journals. This editor consultation runs alongside the desk-screen and adds 3 to 5 days to the timeline that is invisible to the author in the portal.

PRD divisional associate editors usually invite 1 referee (occasionally 2 for interdisciplinary papers), with referee recruitment typically taking 5 to 10 days. The recruitment window can take longer because referees with topic-matched particle physics subspecialty expertise are scarce.

Once the referee agrees to review, the typical PRD peer-review cycle lasts 3 to 6 weeks per referee. Referees are asked to evaluate particle physics significance, theoretical-or-experimental rigor, and reproducibility. Referee reports for PRD tend to be thorough; 2000 to 4000 word reports are typical given the particle physics theoretical complexity.

After the report returns, the divisional associate editor synthesizes it. The 2 to 4 month total submission-to-acceptance window applies to papers that pass full APS review.

• Rejection within 1 to 7 days: Administrative issue or fast-track desk rejection.
• Rejection within 7 to 14 days: Divisional associate editor desk rejection per the 20 to 30 percent figure.
• Still Under Review after 2 weeks: Strong signal. Paper passed the divisional associate editor filter.
• Still Under Review after 10 weeks: Referee-recruitment or referee-report delay. A polite inquiry via the APS portal is appropriate.
• Status changes to "Decision Pending": Reports are in; expect a decision within 1 week.

This is the most common anxiety we hear from PRD authors during the active editorial window. The honest answer: no, 5 weeks at Under Review puts you in the normal middle of PRD's 4 to 8 week first-decision distribution. Reports may already be in editorial synthesis with the divisional associate editor preparing the recommendation. Most referee-driven delays come from the single-referee model (when the one assigned referee is slow or asks for an extension) rather than slow reviews. If the portal still says Under Review at the 8-week mark, the most likely explanation is that the assigned referee asked for an extension and the divisional associate editor granted it. This is normal practice at PRD.

What you should NOT do during the 5-to-8-week window is email the editorial office. PRD divisional associate editors are working academic particle physicists managing 60+ active papers per year; an inquiry at 5 weeks adds friction without accelerating the timeline.

If your PRD paper is rejected after review, the natural cascade depends on what the referee and divisional associate editor cited:

Physical Review X (PRX) is the natural APS open-access cascade for broad short-form particle physics. APS supports manuscript-transfer with referee reports preserved.

Physical Review Letters (PRL) is the APS short-format Letters cascade for broad-physics appeal particle physics work. PRL uses authors.aps.org/Submissions; editorial contact prl@aps.org.

PRX Quantum is the APS cascade for quantum information aspects of particle physics or cosmology.

Journal of High Energy Physics (JHEP) is the external SISSA cascade for high-energy physics. JHEP uses Editorial Manager at editorialmanager.com/jhep; editorial contact jhep@iop.org (JHEP is co-published with IOP).

JCAP (Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics) is the external IOP cascade for cosmology and astroparticle physics. JCAP uses Editorial Manager at editorialmanager.com/jcap; editorial contact jcap@iop.org.

Astrophysical Journal is the external AAS/IOP cascade for observational astrophysics from particle physics origins. ApJ contact via iop.org publishing services.

Nature Physics is the external Springer Nature top-tier physics cascade. The Nature Physics Manuscript Tracking System at mts-nphys.nature.com handles submission; nphys@nature.com handles publisher-level inquiries.

APS asks referees at PRD to evaluate four things specifically. The table below maps each to actionable preparation.

In our pre-submission work with PRD-targeted manuscripts, three named patterns generate the most consistent referee concerns and the most common reasons papers miss the editorial bar or fail the desk screen.

Subfield-mismatch framing flagged at divisional associate editor screen. When the introduction frames the work outside particle physics, gravitation, cosmology, or field-theoretic astrophysics, PRD desk rejection within 1 to 2 weeks is common. The strongest manuscripts frame the contribution clearly within a PRD subfield.

Single-referee opinion mismatch surfaces as the dominant outcome driver. Because PRD usually assigns 1 referee, the referee's view of significance carries substantial weight. The strongest manuscripts anticipate the most common referee concerns explicitly in the introduction and discussion.

APS family cascade offers from divisional associate editor. When the divisional associate editor concludes the work is rigorous but the particle physics priority bar of PRD is not met, transfer offers to PRX (broad open-access), PRL (broad short-format), PRA (AMO), PRE (statistical/biological), or PRX Quantum (quantum information) are common. APS editors take these transfers seriously.

This page was created from APS's public PRD editorial policies and practices at journals.aps.org/prd/authors/editorial-policies-practices, APS editorial documentation (1 to 2 week desk decisions, 4 to 8 week first decision after review, 2 to 4 month total submission-to-publication, subfield-based divisional associate editor assignment within ~1 week, usually 1 referee occasionally 2 for interdisciplinary, single-blind review), and Manusights pre-submission review experience with PRD-targeted manuscripts.

For the APS physics landscape beyond PRD, see Physical Review Letters (broad short-format), Physical Review X (PRX, broad open-access), PRX Quantum (quantum information), and external particle physics alternatives (Journal of High Energy Physics, JCAP, Astrophysical Journal, Nature Physics). The choice across these titles depends on whether the central contribution is particle physics/cosmology/gravitation (PRD), broad-physics short-format (PRL), broad open-access (PRX), quantum information (PRX Quantum), high-energy physics SISSA (JHEP), cosmology/astroparticle (JCAP), observational astrophysics (ApJ), or top-tier Nature Portfolio (Nature Physics).

Referees at PRD typically draw from 1 particle physics subspecialty expert (occasionally 2 for interdisciplinary). Editors screen and triage manuscripts before any referee sees them, and preparing a response template that addresses both subfield significance and single-referee anticipation accelerates revision rounds substantially.

For a pre-upload check of your manuscript against the PRD particle-physics-significance bar before submission, our Physical Review D pre-submission diagnostic flags the framing and subfield-fit weaknesses most likely to surface in the single-referee report.