China Launches New English-Language Journal on Particle Accelerator Science

SHANGHAI — The inaugural ceremony for Accelerator: Science, Technology & Applications (ACCEL), a newly launched peer-reviewed English journal focusing on particle accelerator science, took place on June 18, 2026, at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility of the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SARI-CAS). Staged as a hybrid event, the gathering brought together academicians, editorial board members, government officials, publishing partners and researchers from across China and the globe to celebrate the journal's official launch.

Full-Chain Coverage Backed by a World-Class Editorial Board

Academician Zhentang Zhao, ACCEL's Editor-in-Chief and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), delivered the opening address and unveiled the journal's development roadmap. He noted that global accelerator science has entered a golden age of rapid technological iteration: high-energy physics colliders are advancing toward the 100 TeV frontier, next-generation light sources are revolutionizing beam brightness performance, and innovative accelerator concepts keep breaking gradient limits. Within this context, he stated that the field is in urgent need of a publication that bridges fundamental research, engineering development and practical applications.

Designed to deliver full-chain coverage spanning the science–technology–application continuum, ACCEL prioritizes interdisciplinary research and tangible real-world impact. Beyond core sections covering accelerator physics and advanced accelerator concepts, the journal will feature dedicated columns for large-scale scientific facilities, medical and industrial applications, as well as the integration of artificial intelligence with accelerator science. It aims to act as a connecting hub between major scientific infrastructures and their user communities, driving collaborative innovation across academia, industry and research institutions.

Zhentang Zhao also introduced the journal's 40-member editorial board, which he chairs as Editor-in-Chief. Haixiao Deng, SARI President, serves as Executive Editor. The board comprises five academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, alongside leading international scholars from Italy, Switzerland, Japan, etc., with international members accounting for 25% of the total panel. During the ceremony, Haixiao Deng formally presented Zhentang Zhao with his official appointment letter as Editor-in-Chief.

Journal Unveiling Ceremony & Remarks from Publishing Partners

Witnessed by all attendees, the official unveiling of the journal was jointly conducted by Academicians Zhentang Zhao, Jiawen Xia and Hongwei Zhao, together with Haixiao Deng, Wenjun Zhang (Deputy Director, Science and Technology Cooperation Division, CAS Shanghai Branch), Jie Wang (Publishing Director, KeAi Publishing) and Lei Yang (General Manager, Chinese Laser Press).

Speaking on behalf of the publishing partner, Jie Wang described the cooperation with SARI as KeAi's first strategic publishing partnership with the institute, combining specialized global publishing expertise with world-class domestic academic research capabilities. She stressed that KeAi will function as a long-term collaborative partner rather than merely a publishing service provider. The team will leverage its global distribution platforms to expand readership, offer strategic guidance on indexing in major international academic databases, and co-host high-level academic conferences and forums.

Haixiao Deng highlighted that SARI attaches great importance to academic publishing and has included the goal of establishing a world-class international sci-tech journal in its 15th Five-Year Plan. He outlined three core development priorities for ACCEL: upholding rigorous academic quality standards without pursuing sheer publication volume; pursuing differentiated development by drawing on SARI's large scientific facilities and mature user community resources; and boosting international outreach through proactive recruitment of high-caliber submissions via its domestic and global editorial networks. The long-term vision is to build ACCEL into the flagship journal within the particle accelerator field.

Editorial Symposium Maps Out Long-Term Development Path

Following the inauguration, a special symposium themed "Building a World-Class Academic Journal" was held. Editorial board members held in-depth discussions covering multiple key topics: attracting high-impact original research papers, developing thematic special issues centered on major scientific facilities, expanding participation from international editorial board members, elevating the journal's global visibility, and optimizing manuscript submission and peer review workflows.

Participants agreed that the launch of Accelerator: Science, Technology & Applications fills a critical gap in China's academic publishing ecosystem for particle accelerator disciplines. They expressed full confidence that the journal will evolve into a vital academic nexus linking Chinese and international researchers, industrial practitioners and educators in accelerator science, while amplifying China's voice and academic influence within the global accelerator community.

About the Journal

Accelerator: Science, Technology & Applications (abbreviated as ACCEL; Chinese title: 《粒子加速器》; ISSN: 3118-0019) is an international peer-reviewed academic journal sponsored by SARI, and co-published with KeAi Publishing, an affiliate of Elsevier. The inaugural issue is scheduled for release in September 2026.

Journal official website: Accelerator: Science, Technology & Applications | KeAi Publishing

Editorial contact email: accel@sari.ac.cn

Note on Attendees

Representatives from numerous top research institutions and universities attended the event, including CAS institutes the Institute of High Energy Physics, Institute of Modern Physics, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, China Institute of Atomic Energy, Tsinghua University, Peking University, University of Science and Technology of China, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Chongqing University, among others. The ceremony was hosted by Fengwei Chen, Party Secretary of SARI.