Advances in Physics These reviews are sometimes complemented by a "Perspectives" section which publishes shorter articles that may be controversial, with the intention of stimulating debate. The intended audience consists of physicists, materials scientists, and physical chemists working in universities, industry, and research institutes. Broad, interdisciplinary coverage includes topics ranging from condensed matter physics, statistical mechanics, quantum information, cold atoms, and soft matter physics to biophysics. The impact factor for "Advances in Physics" 18.062 in 2013, ranking it first in the discipline of condensed matter physics. This journal is indexed in the following databases: Advances in Physics Advances in Physics is a bimonthly
Philosophy of thermal and statistical physics Philosophy of thermal and statistical physics The philosophy of thermal and statistical physics is that part of the philosophy of physics whose subject matter is classical thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and related theories. Its central questions include: What is entropy, and what does the second law of thermodynamics say about it? Does either thermodynamics or statistical mechanics contain an element of time-irreversibility? If so, what does statistical mechanics tell us about the arrow of time? Thermodynamics is the study of the macroscopic behaviour of physical systems under the influence of exchange of work and heat with other systems or their environment.