Articles published in Physical Review C are grouped under headings in the table of contents. The headings now used are as follows:
Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction, Few-Body Systems
Nuclear Structure
Nuclear Reactions
Relativistic/Ultrarelativistic Nuclear Collisions
Subnucleon Aspects of Nuclei/Physics of Hadrons
Electroweak Interaction, Symmetries
Nuclear Astrophysics
Authors should suggest the headings which are most appropriate.
Information relevant to manuscript preparation and to the editorial process for this journal and other APS journals is available electronically via ftp to aps.org in the subdirectories/jrnls, /pacs, /revtex, etc., of the/pub directory. Most filenames include as an extension a suffix (beginning with a period), which indicates the nature of the file: .asc (plain ASCII), .pdf (portable document file, usable with Acrobat), .ps (PostScript), or .tex (TeX). Most files exist in two or three versions, distinguished by the suffix. Some specific files are cited where pertinent below. On the World Wide Web the APS research-journals server (whose URL is http://publish.aps.org/) also provides access to this material, and other information.
Manuscripts may be submitted by a variety of electronic modes (including via e-print servers, direct Web upload, and electronic mail), or by conventional mail, but not by fax. Interactive submission forms, available on our Web server, are an integral part of the submission process for the e-print and Web modes, and are strongly recommended for electronic-mail and conventional-mail submission. These forms aid authors in supplying all the information needed in a structured format which furthers efficient processing; they also provide a location for additional information. [For authors with Web browsers without support for forms, noninteractive versions of the submission forms are available via ftp to aps.org in the /pub/jrnls directory as the sub_prc files (include filename suffix .asc, .tex, or .ps), or by request to the Editorial Office.]
If you do not use the submission forms noted above, your submission letter should specify the author to whom correspondence should be addressed, and all available communications information for this individual (postal and electronic-mail addresses, phone and fax numbers). Please specify journal and section to which the paper is submitted, and give PACS categories which are available via the Web URL http://publish.aps.org/PACS/pacsgen.html. The complete PACS scheme is also available as the file ftp://aps.org/pub /pacs/pacs_96.asc.
Electronic submissions may be formatted in REVTeX (preferred), LaTeX, Harvmac, or plain TeX. The file must be in ASCII containing no control codes, with line lengths of 80 characters or less. All textual material of the paper (including tables, captions, etc.) should be in electronic form, as a single file. The file should produce double-spaced output.
For information about submission via e-print servers or direct Web upload, see our Web server.
Electronic-mail submissions (and inquiries about them) should be sent to the Internet address prctex@aps.org. For the initial submission use as the subject ``submit'' followed by ``prc'' and the last name of the first author; for example, ``submit prc jones''. Include the filled-out submission form (or the equivalent information, including journal, section, postal address, etc.) in the first part of the electronic-mail message. Receipt of an electronic-mail submission will be acknowledged within 24 hours. Copies of the manuscript should not be sent by regular mail (only original figures) unless the electronic transmisstion has not been successful.
Editorial processing of an electronic mail submission cannot begin until at least review-quality copies of the figures are received. Electronic-mail transmission (one figure per file) or PostScript- formatted figures will meet this need (if the files can be successfully printed in the Editorial Office). Use as the subject ``submit'' followed by ``prc'', the last name of the first author, and the figure number; for example ``submit prc jones fig 1''. Alternatively, authors can send journal-quality (scanner-reproducible) ``originals'' immediately by overnight mail to the Editorial Office. A third possibility is to forward review-quality figures by fax (516-591-4141), while the ``originals'' are sent by conventional or overnight mail as soon as possible. Please mark the fax transmission as being part of an electronic-mail submission.
Manuscripts sent by conventional mail should be submitted in triplicate to the Editor, Physical Review C, 1 Research Road, Box 9000, Ridge, New York 11961-9000. Manuscripts should be double spaced (about 6 mm of space between lines) with ample margins, on white letter-sized paper. Poor copies and unclear or excessive handwritten inserts are not acceptable.
Compuscripts are author-supplied computer files that can be used for production essentially as supplied. (Some minor style modifications may be made if needed.) If the paper is accepted for publication, the file is converted to production format and coding (eventually SGML), from which base the journal pages are composed. Authors should indicate with their initial submission that they are interested in publishing in this mode. Appropriate REVTeX files are eligible. Questions about file eligibility should be directed to prctex@aps.org. Papers intended for the compuscript production program should be submitted and resubmitted only electronically.
REVTeX is APS's LaTeX macro package used to produce the standard compuscript files for our journals. The REVTeX software (macros, examples, and documentation) is available via ftp to aps.org in the /pub/revtex directory. For futher information on REVTeX, inquire by electric mail to mis@aps.org.
An information and instruction booklet regarding electronic submissions and compuscripts is available via ftp to aps.org in the /pub/jrnls/ directory as the compu_inform_pr files (include filename suffix .asc, .ps, or .tex).
Manuscripts and figures are not routinely returned to authors. Authors should indicate (preferably on initial submittal) if they want the manuscript and/or figures returned when correspondence is sent during the editorial process, and/or after a final decision has been made.
A signed APS copyright-transfer form should be included with the submission, and will be required before publication. While the transfer of copyright takes effect only upon acceptance of the paper for publication in an APS journal, supplying the form initially can prevent unnecessary delays. The form appears at the end of the 18 November 1996 issue of Physical Review Letters and is available from the Editorial Office, on the World Wide Web via the URL http://publish.aps.org/ or via ftp to aps.org in the /pub/jrnls directory as the copy_trnsfr files (include filename suffix.asc, .ps, or .tex). Be sure to use the latest (3/94 or later) version of the form.
Authors are also requested to supply PACS (Physics and Astronomy Classification Scheme) index categories. These categories are used in preparing the annual subject index. [The scheme is available via ftp to aps.org as the file pacs_96.asc in the /pub/pacs directory; the alphabetical index to PACS is available as the file index_96.asc in the same directory. Printed copies of PACS are available on request from the Editorial Office.] The Division of Nuclear Physics of the APS requests that authors provide a Keyword Abstract. A request will be mailed to the authors of experimental papers; the Keyword Abstract should be forwarded to the National Nuclear Data Center.
Manuscripts should be written in scientific English, in a style consistent with that of the journal. It is not possible for the editorial office to undertake extensive corrections of manuscripts, due to time constraints and the risk that the authors' meaning might be distorted. Manuscripts requiring extensive corrections are therefore returned to the authors. For this reason, authors whose native language is not English are urged to seek help from a native English speaker. Manuscripts should be double-spaced (about 6 mm of space between lines) with ample margins, on white letter-sized paper. Poor copies and unclear or excessive handwritten inserts are not acceptable. For format and style, consult recent issues of this journal, the Physical Review Style and Notation Guide, and the Fourth Edition of the AIP Style Manual. Copies of the Physical Review Style and Notation Guide can be obtained via ftp to aps.org in the /pub/jrnls directory as the style_guidefiles (include filename suffix .pdf, .ps, or .tex). The AIP Style Manual may be obtained for $10.00 prepaid from American Institute of Physics, c/o AIDC, 64 Depot Road, Colchester, VT 05546, telephone: 800-488-2665.
When a manuscript is resubmitted, please include a summary of changes made and a brief response to all recommendations and criticisms. (Submission forms are not yet available for resubmissions; nor are the e-print and Web upload submission methods.) If the resubmission is by electronic mail, please send the complete file for the text if there have been any changes. (The response to the referee should be included as the first part of the electronic-mail message which contains the modified manuscript. Use as the subject of the message ``resub'' followed by the manuscript code number and the last name of the first author; for example, ``resub cd1234 smith''.) If the resubmission is by conventional mail, please send three copies of a complete modified manuscript. For any resubmission, please state whether or not the figures have been modified, and supply new PostScript-formatted figures (one figure per file) or scanner-reproducible figures if there have been such changes.
The writing of the title deserves special care. It should convey the greatest amount of information in the smallest
number of words. Words that do not carry information, such
as ``The '', ``A
'', ``On
'', ``Investigation of
'',
``Study of
'', should be omitted. For manuscripts submitted to the
Comments section, ``Comment on
'' followed by the title of
the paper to which the Comment refers is, however, good
practice. Do not use in the title words that praise the quality
of the work (precise, important, accurate), the name of the
accelerator or type of detector used, names of people or
places, coined words or acronyms,
``More about
'', ``
revisited'', or dangling
participles (
using
). Do not use
serial numbers in titles unless the number is followed by a
specific title, such as ``Inelastic scattering of protons. IV.
Coupled channels analyses.'' If you wish to use a serial
number, please provide information on the other published
articles in the series.
The names of authors may be listed in any order in the byline at the beginning of a paper. Authors must be individuals, not groups or collaborations. The author who submits the paper is responsible for ensuring that all coauthors have approved the paper and for checking that the form of each name (e.g., initials versus full names) is that normally used by the author.
Affiliations of authors should be given without abbreviation. (Use Massachusetts Institute of Technology, not MIT.) Give the city, state, and zip code for U.S. addresses; add the country for other addresses. Affiliations must be institutions, not conferences, collaborations, or temporary meeting places.
If the authors are at different institutions, they may be grouped by institution with the name of the institution following each group. If the authors are not grouped by institution, the names of institutions may be repeated following the appropriate authors or groups of authors. If this becomes cumbersome, the names of institutions may be listed following the list of authors. Each author's name should then be followed by a superscript number (or numbers) which refers to a similar superscript number preceding the appropriate institution (or institutions). Normally, the most concise presentation is preferred.
Footnotes to an author's name or address will be limited to those which are necessary for proper identification or location of the author, or which designate an addressee for correspondence. Electronic addresses (e.g., Internet, FAX) can be listed as footnotes. Footnotes to an author's name which describe the author's position are not acceptable.
Every paper must have an abstract. It should be about 5% of the length of the article, but less than 500 words. It should state all subjects about which new information is given and the conclusions and results. For experimental papers it should specify clearly what quantities were measured, what nuclides were studied at what energies. It should not contain footnotes, coined words, or acronyms which are not explained.
Physical Review C tries to follow the recommendations on symbols and units of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) and of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Metric units (preferably SI), not British units, are used, unless the British unit is part of the name of an object.
Recommended abbreviations for frequently used terms are listed below along with some common misuse.
Physical Review C follows the recommendations of the S.U.N.
Commission of IUPAP on the symbols to be used for nuclides
and their states. The nucleon number (mass number) of a
nuclide is shown as a left superscript
().
A right superscript
is used for indicating a state of ionization
() or an excited
state (
). A right subscript is used for indicating the
number of atoms in a molecule (
). For bombarding particles,
,
and
may be used, but not
. For other
bombarding particles, only the usual symbols
should be used. For target nuclides, use
. Do not use D, T,
.
The preferred notation for a differential cross section is
,
, i.e., the angle or energy should be shown as an argument.
The derivative notation
is acceptable;
by itself
or
is not. The notation
or
is acceptable
when it refers to a mathematical relationship, such as the
semiempirical mass formula, but not for the characterization of
data, since
and
are not continuous.
Notation should be clear, compact, and consistent with
standard usage. Each symbol must be individually legible.
Equations should be neatly typed or written in ink, numbered
on the right. Tildes, carets, etc., can be put on any symbol,
including indices, but not over groups of symbols. Double
oversymbols (e.g., a caret over a tilde) should be avoided.
Three-vectors are printed in boldface, unit vectors in boldface
with a caret. More general vectors and matrices are usually set
in lightface type but may be set in boldface. (To indicate
boldface, use a black-penciled wiggly underline.) Any
numerical fraction can be put on line, e.g., . Use that form rather
than
;
means
.
References cited in text material must be numbered in order of their first citation, and should appear in a separate double-spaced list at the end of the text. They should be designated by on-line Arabic numerals enclosed in square brackets. Footnotes (for subsidiary remarks, not for references) may be placed at the bottoms of printed pages. Such footnotes to text material should be designated by superscript numerals, numbered consecutively throughout the paper, and placed at the bottoms of the manuscript pages on which they are cited. Authors who do not wish to use this option should combine references and footnotes in a single list, designated by on-line numerals in square brackets, numbered consecutively in order of first citation, and placed at the end of the text. References and footnotes within tables should be designated by superscript lower-case roman letters and given at the end of the table.
In preparing the list of references for papers submitted to Physical Review C the author should be guided by the Physical Review Style and Notation Guide, especially Table I and the list of Journal Title Abbreviations, and by the corresponding material in the AIP Style Manual. The following describes the practices of Physical Review C:
et al. The use of et al. (no comma before et) is encouraged in the body of the paper, but discouraged in the references. The names of all authors should be given in the references, unless the number of authors is greater than ten.(in press) means that the paper has been accepted for publication in a journal (or a conference proceedings). The name of the journal must be specified. If the paper has been published when the author receives the proofs, the reference should be updated in proof.
(submitted or to be submitted) means that the paper has been submitted or will shortly be submitted for publication. The name of the journal, book, or conference proceedings must be specified.
(unpublished) means that the information is unavailable in printed form. Ph.D. theses need not be marked (unpublished), since copies can be purchased.
Conference Proceedings. Name, place, and year of the conference should be specified. Specify the editors and publisher if possible. Give page number.
Reports. Give name of laboratory, report number, and year. Give the title if possible and especially if a report number is not available.
Books. Give publisher, year, page number.
Journal references. Phys. Rev. C 20, 195 (1979). Nucl. Phys. A249, 253 (1978). (Note difference.) For Annals of Physics use Ann. Phys. (N.Y.).
(private communication) means that the information is not available either in published or report form and acknowledges the receipt of information from another source. References to private communications in which the name of one of the authors appears are not acceptable.
It is important to confirm the accuracy of bibliographic information in references. This will become more important in the future when journals are online; establishing hyperlinks from reference lists to bibliographic and document databases depends on the accuracy of the data contained in the anchor reference.
Acknowledgments of support must be placed in an acknowledgments paragraph at the end of the text of a manuscript. Not all types of acknowledgments are appropriate for the Physical Review. We do not include acknowledgments to those who helped in the preparation of the document being published; to referees or editors (unless they were involved before the paper was first written); to those who contributed general encouragement (family, friends) or services which were not directly part of the research. References to positions, titles, and awards are inappropriate as are dates associated with awards. Examples of suitable acknowledgments are thanks to other scientists for scientific guidance given in discussions or by the communication of results, mention of technical assistants who helped in the actual research, and citation of funding agencies which sponsored the work. Acknowledgments should be a simple statement of thanks for help and may not be a dedication or memorial. Acknowledgments to people should precede those of financial support.
Separate tables (numbered in the order of their appearance) should be used for all but the simplest tabular material; they should have captions that make the tables intelligible without reference to the text. Units should be given in the column headings. The decision on whether results should be published in long tables depends on the precision of the data, i.e., whether they can be read accurately enough from a figure, and on how many readers are likely to use the numbers relative to the space needed in the journal. If experimental results are likely to be used as reference values by other authors, the publication of the numbers is desirable. If additional numerical data can be obtained from a data center, from the author, or another source, either as tables or in electronic form, indicate how and in what format they can be obtained. Authors should consider the feasibility of depositing extensive tabular material in the Physics Auxiliary Publication Service (PAPS) of the American Institute of Physics. This material will usually be included in the Microfilm edition of the Physical Review. For details, write to the Editorial Office. Authors may prepare tables in camera-ready form, even if the rest of the paper is not so prepared. This practice is encouraged for long tables. Such tables must be similar in appearance to tables composed at the American Institute of Physics.