Frequently asked questions

Why should I create an account?

Users without accounts are limited to reading 3 articles per month. Once you have registered by creating an account , if you belong to one of the 10 professional societies that are part of the AIP Federation or if you subscribe directly to PT, you have unlimited access to PT content, including our full archive dating back to 1948. Other registered users can read up to 6 articles per month.

How do I create an account on the website?

You can create an account using this link .

You will need to provide your name and email address and create a password. If you know that you are subscribed to PT, you should use the email address associated with that subscription to connect your subscription to your online account.

I already have an account with a professional society or on the old PT and AIP Journals website, do I need another account here?

Yes. Accounts on the new PT website are independent of any society or prior PT account; please create a new one using this link .

What is the difference between registering and subscribing?

You register by creating an account. Creating an account is free and grants you access to 6 articles per month.

You are subscribed if you receive the Physics Today magazine either in print or via digital delivery of the full-issue PDF. By registering with the same email address that you use for your subscription, you have unlimited access to all PT content on the website.

Members of the 10 professional societies that are part of the AIP federation are automatically subscribed to PT. You can also purchase a subscription directly from AIP. You can learn more about subscribing here.

What types of subscription are available?

We offer two subscription options.

  1. Print magazine delivery
  2. Digital magazine delivery

Both subscriptions grant full access to all content on the website. The only difference is whether you receive the magazine as a physical mailing or as a full-issue PDF. You can subscribe here.

I have a subscription but I am seeing the 3- or 6-article limit notification, what is going on?

If you are seeing the 3-article limit message, please make sure you have created an account and are logged in. If you are logged in and are still seeing the 6-article message, please confirm that the account you created is using the same email address that is associated with your subscription. If you are still seeing the message, please submit a ticket via our contact form.

When should I expect to receive my first print copy of the magazine after I subscribe?

When a subscription enters our system, there can be a 2-4 week delay in having that information picked up by the printing and mailing systems. As such, you may not receive your first print magazine for 1-2 months after the start of your subscription, depending on timing. However, you will still receive a full 12 months of issues.

If you are subscribed to PT through membership in one of the AIP Federation professional organizations, there may be a delay before your information is provided to AIP from that organization, resulting in a further delay of receiving your first magazine.

If you are an international subscriber, in addition to the above delays, please allow an additional 8 weeks for delivery.

I am subscribed for digital magazine delivery. How do I access my full-issue PDF?

If you are logged into your account, you will see a link to the full-issue PDF at the top of each issue’s table of contents page on the PT website. If you are signed up for PT newsletters, you will receive an email at the beginning of each month linking you to that month’s issue page.

You also have access to full-issue PDFs dating back to 2019, which you can find in the Issue Archive.

How do I change my mailing address or cancel my subscription?

If you receive PT through your membership in one of the professional societies in the AIP federation (AAPM , AAPT , AAS , ACA , AMS , APS , ASA , AVS , Optica , and SoR ), please contact that society to update your subscription information.

If you have a direct subscription to PT, you can update your information on the Account page or by submitting a request to our contact form.

Why doesn’t the article I’m looking at have a PDF available?

Articles only have PDF versions if they were included in a print magazine. Online-only content and content that is newly published do not have PDFs.

How do I submit content for publication?

Currently, PT is only accepting obituaries and candidate images for Back Scatter. They can be submitted through our contact form.

We ask that submitted obituaries be no more than 750 words in length and include the deceased’s date of birth and date of death. If possible, also include a photo (with credit information). Obituaries will be lightly edited before posting.

Images submitted for Back Scatter should have a portrait orientation, be at least 1500 pixels across, and be in either JPEG, TIFF, GIF, PNG, or PDF format. Please include a title, description, and credit information for your image and indicate if the picture is in the public domain.

I have a question not listed here. How can I contact you?

If you have a question that has not been addressed here, please reach out to us via our contact form .