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Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A

A Journal of Physical Sciences

Editors-in-Chief: Gernot Alber and Jürgen Schnack
Edited by: Silvia De Bianchi , Hans-Thomas Elze , Claus Kiefer and Klaus Morawetz

Language: English

First published: February 20, 1946

Publication Frequency: 12 issues per year

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Objective
A Journal of Physical Sciences: Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A (ZNA) is an international scientific journal which publishes original research papers from all areas of experimental and theoretical physics. Authors are encouraged to pay particular attention to a clear exposition of their respective subject, addressing a wide readership. In accordance with the name of our journal, which means "Journal for Natural Sciences", manuscripts submitted to ZNA should have a tangible connection to actual physical phenomena. In particular, we welcome experiment-oriented contributions.

Manuscripts considered for publication in A Journal of Physical Sciences: Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A undergo high-level refereeing. Mere formal correctness of a paper is not sufficient for its acceptance. Moreover, articles reporting a merely marginal extension of already existing knowledge are considered unsatisfactory. Instead, the key quality a public ation in A Journal of Physical Sciences: Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A should possess is that it makes a genuine contribution to the advancement of its topic.

Topics

Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics
Chemical Physics
Dynamical Systems & Nonlinear Phenomena
Fundamental Concepts of Physical Sciences
Gravitation & Cosmology
Hydrodynamics & Plasma Physics
Nuclear Physics & Particle Physics
Quantum Field Theory
Solid State Physics & Materials Science
Thermodynamics & Statistical Physics

Article formats
Original research articles, research notes, letters and review articles from all areas of theoretical and experimental physics

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Editors’ Choice

Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A – A Journal of Physical Sciences is proud to announce a new feature, the Editor’s Choice free access article. To download the featured article free of charge, please click the link below.

vol. 80, Iss. 11: Hopf-induced desynchronization by Seungjae Lee, Lennart J. Kuklinski, Moritz Thümler and Marc Timme

vol. 80, Iss. 8: Acompactanalytical solution of the Dicke superradiance master equation via residue calculus by Raphael Holzinger and Claudiu Genes

vol. 80, Iss. 6: Galilean decoherence and quantum measurement by Heinz-Jürgen Schmidt

vol. 79, Iss. 12: Choi representation of completely positive maps in brief by Gábor Homa, Adrian Ortega and Mátyás Koniorczyk

vol. 79, Iss. 11: Global stability analysis of an extended SUC epidemic mathematical model by Mengxin Chen, Soobin Kwak, Seokjun Ham, Youngjin Hwang and Junseok Kim

vol. 79, Iss. 9: Computerized simulation of 2-dimensional phase contrast images using spiral phase plates in neutron interferometry by Wolfgang Treimer, Frank Haußer and Martin Suda

vol. 79, Iss. 2: Arbitrary maximally entangled quantum prisoner’s dilemma by Abd El-Hakeem E. H. Abd El-Naby, Heba A. Elrayes, Ahmed M. K. Tarabia and Ahmed S. Elgazzar

vol. 78, Iss. 5: Shapes of the noncentrosymmetric TeO5E groups in tellurite glasses with P2O5 additions by Uwe Hoppe

Vol. 75, Iss. 5: Special Issue: Physics of Non-Equilibrium Systems Issue Editors: Martin Holthaus and Andreas Engel

Vol. 74, Iss. 8: Special Issue: Trends an Perspectives in Engery Research Issue Editors: Martin Holthaus and Sascha Schäfer

Vol. 72, Iss. 2: Special Issue: Heat Transfer and Heat Conduction on the Nanoscale Guest Editors: Svend-Age Biehs, Philippe Ben-Abdallah, Achim Kittel

Vol. 71, Iss. 10: Focus Section: Emergence in Driven Solid-State and Cold-Atom Systems Guest Editors: Ludwig Mathey, Junichi Okamoto

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Ground states of classical spin polygons: rigorous results and examples

November 27, 2025

Wojciech Florek, Heinz-Jürgen Schmidt, Katarzyna Jaśniewicz-Pacer

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We present a comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the lowest energy configurations (LECs) of classical spin polygons characterized by arbitrary couplings between neighboring spin sites. Our study shows that these ground states exhibit either collinear or coplanar arrangements, which allows us to determine the precise boundaries between these two phases. By simultaneously applying a spin flip and a bond inversion, we simplify the LEC problem and reduce it to a specific scenario with predominantly ferromagnetic (FM) bonds and a single antiferromagnetic (AFM) bond. Hence, competing interactions are always present, but, nevertheless, in the well-defined ranges of the system parameters, the collinear LEC is realized. The difference angles between neighboring spins within the LEC can be captured by a single Lagrange parameter. We analytically investigate its dependence on the AFM bond and arrive at revealing results. Similarly, we can analyze the energy of the LEC, which shows a pronounced maximum as a function of the AFM bond. To illustrate our findings, we give various examples that clearly demonstrate these results.
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Non-ergodic one-magnon magnetization dynamics of the Kagome lattice antiferromagnet

October 17, 2025

Henrik Schlüter, Jürgen Schnack, Jannis Eckseler

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The present view of modern physics on non-equilibrium dynamics is that generic systems equilibrate or thermalize under rather general conditions, even closed systems under unitary time evolution. The investigation of exceptions thus not only appears attractive, in view of quantum computing where thermalization is a threat it also seems to be necessary. Here, we present aspects of the one-magnon dynamics on the Kagome lattice antiferromagnet as an example of a non-equilibrating dynamics due to flat bands. Similar to the one-dimensional delta chain localized eigenstates also called localized magnons lead to disorder-free localization and prevent the system from equilibration.
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Kinetic excitation of the shear modified ion-acoustic instability in non-thermal ionospheric plasma: an exact numerical investigation

December 25, 2025

Ayesha Zafar, Aman-ur-Rehman, Muhammad Ahsan Shahzad, Muhammad Bilal

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The Poisson–Vlasov formalism, pertaining to the well-known kinetic description model of plasmas, is employed to investigate the shear-modified ion-acoustic instability in nonthermal, anisotropic, Cairns-distributed ionospheric magnetoplasma characterized by parallel flow shear. The kinetic dielectric response function of the shear-modified ion-acoustic instability is calculated. The real (oscillatory) frequency and growth rate (imaginary frequency) of the plasma mode under consideration are explored through an exact numerical solution of the kinetic dispersion relation. In particular, the role of parallel flow shear in the excitation of the instability associated with the ion-acoustic mode is thoroughly examined. It is observed that the instability growth rate is significantly influenced by variations in the magnitudes of the relevant dimensionless parameters, including velocity shear S i , nonthermality parameter α , ion temperature anisotropy ratio σ i , and ion-to-electron temperature ratio Λ i , e . The present investigation is relevant for understanding plasma dynamics in space environments comprising nonthermal particle populations, e.g., the upper ionosphere.
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Similarities and differences of typicality in quantum and classical systems

December 26, 2025

Peter Reimann, Nicolás Nessi

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Typicality is a well-established and very general property of quantum many-body systems, referring to the phenomenon that the expectation values of any given observable are practically indistinguishable for the overwhelming majority of all pure states (normalized vectors) in a sufficiently high-dimensional Hilbert (sub-)space. Here, we provide very simple and general arguments that analogous typicality properties of pure states (phase space points) in classical many-body systems are still expected to hold true for macroscopic observables, but not any more for microscopic (few-body) observables.
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Influence of magneto-thermal dynamics on energy and mass transport in bioconvective nanofluid flow over a spinning disk surface

December 26, 2025

Debasish Gorai, Kalidas Das

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The interaction of magnetic and thermal forces significantly modifies the motion and transport characteristics of bioconvective nanofluids on a rotating surface, facilitating progress in magnetic drug delivery systems, bioreactor efficiency, and precision cooling technologies in biomedical and microelectronic devices. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding buoyancy-driven forces, coupled with energy and concentration transport, which govern temperature and solutal distributions. The model, unlike conventional analysis, takes into account a spatially dependent heat source, thereby increasing system complexity. The study emphasizes the joint action of magnetic effects, radiative processes, and microbial activity on the surface modifications of the general transport. The resulting equations are solved using a shooting-based Runge–Kutta 4th-order process, revealing critical insights into the role of each parameter in the overall heat and mass transfer process. The magnetic field intensifies fluid motion, while variable heat sources and radiation increase skin friction; bioconvective and thermal parameters notably influence the distribution of microorganisms within the system. The results offer a deeper understanding of the interconnected phenomena in rotating disc systems, with significant implications for industrial and biological applications where microbial control and heat management play crucial roles.
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Characteristics of rogue waves in nonlocal Lakshmanan–Porsezian–Daniel equation

December 24, 2025

Min-Jie Dong, Li-Xin Tian, Wei Shi, Jing-Dong Wei

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In this paper, based on the Darboux transformation and the technique of separating variables, we construct rogue waves in the form of separating variables for the nonlocal Lakshmanan–Porsezian–Daniel equation the nonlocal reverse space with odd–even time symmetry. In addition, in order to give the reader a better understanding of the obtained solutions, the main dynamical evolution properties of the first and second order rogue wave solutions, which exhibit rich dynamical patterns, most of which do not have corresponding patterns in the corresponding local equations, are discussed in detail.
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Phase diagram and macroscopic ground state degeneracy of frustrated spin-1/2 anisotropic Heisenberg model on diamond-decorated lattices

January 6, 2026

Dmitry V. Dmitriev, Valery Ya. Krivnov, Oleg A. Vasilyev

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We study the ground state properties of the anisotropic spin-1/2 Heisenberg model on lattices built from ideal diamond units with competing ferro- and antiferromagnetic interactions. The study covers the one-dimensional diamond chain and its two- and three-dimensional generalizations. The ground-state phase diagram contains four distinct phases: ferromagnetic (F), critical (C), monomer-dimer (MD), and tetramer-dimer (TD), which converge at a quadruple point. We demonstrate the presence of macroscopic ground-state degeneracy and corresponding residual entropy, which is maximal at the quadruple point and also extends throughout the MD phase and its boundaries with TD and F phases. For the diamond chain, we derive exact degeneracies, while for higher-dimensional lattices, we map the problem onto a bond percolation model or used transfer-matrix approach, enabling the numerical computation of the ground state degeneracy.
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Magnetic field-induced degenerate ground state in the classical antiferromagnetic XX model on the icosahedron

December 29, 2025

Nikolaos P. Konstantinidis

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The ground state of the classical antiferromagnetic XX model in a magnetic field is calculated for spins mounted on the vertices of the icosahedron. The magnetization is characterized by two discontinuities as a function of the external field. For a wide field range above the first discontinuity the ground state is degenerate, with two spins related by spatial inversion almost aligned with the field and the rest forming two magnetization units in the form of pentagons. It is shown that the degeneracy originates from the coupling of the two pentagons, which introduces the triangle, associated with ground-state degeneracy, as an interaction unit in the icosahedron. The magnetization discontinuities are shown to evolve first from the coupling of isolated triangles and then from the addition of the two spins related by spatial inversion.
Open Access
Determining extended Markov parameterizations for vector-valued generalized Langevin equations

December 29, 2025

Niklas Bockius, Maximilian Braun, Kay Hofmann, Friederike Schmid, Martin Hanke

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The generalized Langevin equation is used as a model for various coarse-grained physical processes, e.g., the time evolution of the velocity of a given larger particle in an implicitly represented solvent, when the relevant time scales of the dynamics of the larger particle and the solvent particles are not strictly separated. Since this equation involves an integrated history of past velocities, considerable efforts have been made to approximate this dynamics by data-driven Markov models, where auxiliary variables are used to compensate for the memory term. In recent works we have developed two algorithms which can be used for this purpose, provided the dynamics in question are scalar processes. Here we extend these algorithms to vector-valued processes. As a physical test bed we consider an S-shaped particle sliding on a planar substrate, which gives rise to a truly two-dimensional velocity process. The two algorithms provide Markov approximations of this process with 10–20 auxiliary variables and a very accurate fit of the given autocorrelation data over the entire time interval where these data are non-negligible.
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Systematic study of multi-magnon binding energies in the FM-AFM J₁-J₂ chain

December 9, 2025

Satoshi Nishimoto

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We present a systematic study of multi-magnon bound states (MBSs) in the spin- 1 2 $\frac{1}{2}$ FM-AFM J 1 - J 2 chain under magnetic fields using the density-matrix renormalization group method. As a quantitative measure of stability, we compute the magnon binding energy E b ( M , p ) for bound clusters of size p over wide ranges of the frustration ratio J 2 /| J 1 | and the normalized magnetization M / M s . Near saturation, we benchmark our data against the analytic two-magnon result and map out a clear hierarchy of p -magnon states, whose phase boundaries follow an empirical scaling J 2,c ( p ;  p + 1)/| J 1 | ≈ 0.34 p −2.3 for large p . We further quantify the relation between the most stable p and the zero-field pitch angle θ , verifying the conjectured inequality 1/ p > θ / π > 1/( p + 1) up to p ≲ 9. The binding energy shows pronounced suppression as J 2 /| J 1 | → 1/4 + and, for some frustration values, attains a maximum below full saturation, indicating that partial depolarization enhances bound-magnon mobility. Close to the FM instability, E b ( M s , p ) exhibits an empirical power-law vanishing consistent with a quantum-Lifshitz scenario. Our results provide a comprehensive, experimentally relevant map of MBS stability across field and frustration, offering concrete guidance for inelastic probes in quasi-one-dimensional magnets.

Special Issue: Physics of Non-Equilibrium Systems, Issue Editors: Martin Holthaus and Andreas Engel

Special Issue: Trends and Perspectives in Energy Research \ Issue Editors: Martin Holthaus and Sascha Schäfer

Special Issue: Heat Transfer and Heat Conduction on the Nanoscale / Guest Editors: Svend-Age Biehs, Philippe Ben-Abdallah, Achim Kittel

Focus Section: Emergence in Driven Solid-State and Cold-Atom Systems / Guest Editors: Ludwig Mathey, Junichi Okamoto

Proceedings of the 3rd Workshop on Mysteries, Puzzles and Paradoxes in Quantum Mechanics

Walther Kossel, Zu Max von Laue's 70. Geburtstag 64

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Zum 60. Geburtstag von Walther Gerlach

Lise Meitner, Otto Hahn zum 8. März 1949

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Werner Heisenberg, Arnold Sommerfeld zum 5. Dezember 1948

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Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A publishes special and thematic issues focussed on important and emerging topics in the field of study. The journal has established a rigorous process to ensure that any special issue manuscripts follow the same high-quality standards and peer review processes as regular manuscripts. For further information on the journal’s peer review policy please see the "Instructions for Authors".

Call for Papers

CFP Frustrated spin systems and numerical methods

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Journal Impact Factor	1.3	2024, Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, 2025)
5-year Journal Impact Factor	1.2	2024, Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, 2025)
Journal Citation Indicator	0.33	2024, Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, 2025)
CiteScore	3	2024, Scopus (Elsevier B.V., 2025)
SCImago Journal Rank	0.253	2024, SJR (Scimago Lab, 2025; Data Source: Scopus)
Source Normalized Impact per Paper	0.511	2024, CWTS Journal Indicators (CWTS B.V., 2025; Data Source: Scopus)

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Editors in Chief
Gernot Alber, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, gernot.alber@physik.tu-darmstadt.de
Jürgen Schnack, Bielefeld University, Germany, jschnack@uni-bielefeld.de

Honorary Editor
Siegfried Großmann, The Philipps University of Marburg, Germany, grossmann@physik.uni-marburg.de

Editors
Silvia De Bianchi, University of Milan, Italy, silvia.debianchi@unimi.it
Thomas Elze, University of Pisa, Italy, elze@df.unipi.it
Claus Kiefer, University of Cologne, Germany, kiefer@thp.uni-koeln.de
Klaus Morawetz, Münster University of Applied Sciences, Germany, morawetz@physik.tu-chemnitz.de

Advisory Board

Janos A. Bergou, CUNY Hunter College, USA
Quantum Optics
Quantum Technology

Ulrich Eckern, Augsburg University, Germany
Condensed Matter Theory
Theory of Superconductivity and Superfluid Helium
Unconventional Superconductors near Interfaces
Quantum Mechanics

Martin Holthaus, University of Oldenburg, Germany
Quantum Mechanical Many-Body Systems
Periodically Driven Quantum Systems
Statistical Physics

Jan Honolka, Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
Nano-Magnetism and Magnetism
Physics of Surfaces and Surface Science
X-ray Spectroscopy

Albrecht Klemm, University of Bonn, Germany
Quantum Field Theory
Mathematical Physics
Gravity, String Theory

Karlheinz Langanke, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH
and Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany
Nuclear Physics
Nuclear Astrophysics

Shijun Liao, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Nonlinear Mechanics
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Ocean Engineering

Stefan Lochbrunner, University of Rostock, Germany
Atomic and Molecular Physics
Dynamics of Molecular Systems

A. Ravi P. Rau, Louisiana State University, USA
Atomic Physics
Molecular Physics
Optical Physics

Friederike Schmid, Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Germany
Theoretical Physics
Statistical Physics
Computer Simulations
Soft Matter
Polymers
Fluids

Aneta Stefanovska, Lancaster University, UK
Complex Systems
Biological, Cardiovascular, Neural Systems
Time Series Analysis
Coupled Oscillators, Synchronization

Weigang Sun, Hangzhou Dianzi University, China
Applied Mathematics
Differential Equations
Nonlinear Systems
Nonlinear Control

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Paulina Żarnecka, De Gruyter
Email: zna@degruyter.com

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Additional information

eISSN:

1865-7109

ISSN:

0932-0784

Language:

English

Publisher:

De Gruyter

Additional information

First published:

February 20, 1946

Publication Frequency:

12 issues per year

eISSN: 1865-7109

ISSN: 0932-0784

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