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This paper presents an exploration of a specific type of a generalized multicomponent solution model, which appears to be first given by Saulov in the current explicit form. The assumptions of the underlying theory and a brief derivation of the main equation have been provided preliminarily for completeness and notational consistency. The resulting formulae for the Gibbs free energy of mixing and the chemical potentials are multivariate polynomials with physically meaningful coefficients and the mole fractions of the components as variables. With one additional assumption about the relative magnitudes of the solvent–solute and solute–solute interaction exchange energies, combining rules were obtained that express the mixed coefficients of the polynomial in terms of its pure coefficients. This was done by exploiting the mathematical structure of the asymmetric form of the solvent chemical potential equation. The combining rules allow one to calculate the thermodynamic properties of the solvent with multiple solutes from binary mixture data only (i.e., each solute with the solvent), and hence, are of practical importance. Furthermore, a connection was established between the osmotic virial coefficients derived in this work and the original osmotic virial coefficients of Hill found by employing a different procedure, illustrating the equivalency of what appears to be two different theories. A validation of the combining rules derived here has been provided in a separate paper where they were successfully used to predict the freezing points of ternary salt solutions of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a well-known paper, Jeremy England derived a bound on the free energy dissipated by a self-replicating system [J. L. England, "Statistical physics of self-replication," J. Chem. Phys. 139, 121923 (2013)]. This bound is usually interpreted as a universal relationship that connects thermodynamic dissipation to replicator per-capita decay and growth rates. We argue from basic thermodynamic principles against this interpretation. In fact, we suggest that such a relationship cannot exist in principle, because it is impossible for a thermodynamically consistent replicator to undergo both per-capita growth and per-capita decay back into reactants. Instead, replicator may decay into separate waste products, but in that case, replication and decay are two independent physical processes, and there is no universal relationship that connects their thermodynamic and dynamical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the thermodynamics and structures of iron clusters has been carried on, focusing on small clusters and initial icosahedral and fcc-cuboctahedral structures. Two combined tools are used. First, energy intervals are explored by the Monte Carlo algorithm, called σ-mapping, detailed in the work of Soudan et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 135, 144109 (2011), Paper I]. In its flat histogram version, it provides the classical density of states, gp(Ep), in terms of the potential energy of the system. Second, the iron system is described by a potential which is called "corrected EAM" (cEAM), explained in the work of Basire et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 141, 104304 (2014), Paper II]. Small clusters from 3 to 12 atoms in their ground state have been compared first with published Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, giving a complete agreement of geometries. The series of 13, 55, 147, and 309 atom icosahedrons is shown to be the most stable form for the cEAM potential. However, the 147 atom cluster has a special behaviour, since decreasing the energy from the liquid zone leads to the irreversible trapping of the cluster in a reproducible amorphous state, 7.38 eV higher in energy than the icosahedron. This behaviour is not observed at the higher size of 309 atoms. The heat capacity of the 55, 147, and 309 atom clusters revealed a pronounced peak in the solid zone, related to a solid-solid transition, prior to the melting peak. The corresponding series of 13, 55, and 147 atom cuboctahedrons has been compared, underscoring the unstability towards the icosahedral structure. This unstability occurs clearly in several steps for the 147 atom cluster, with a sudden transformation at a transition state. This illustrates the concerted icosahedron-cuboctahedron transformation of Buckminster Fuller-Mackay, which is calculated for the cEAM potential. Two other clusters of initial fcc structures with 24 and 38 atoms have been studied, as well as a 302 atom cluster. Each one relaxes towards a more stable structure without regularity. The 38 atom cluster exhibits a nearly glassy relaxation, through a cascade of six metastable states of long life. This behaviour, as that of the 147 atom cluster towards the amorphous state, shows that difficulties to reach ergodicity in the lower half of the solid zone are related to particular features of the potential energy landscape, and not necessarily to a too large size of the system. Comparisons of the cEAM iron system with published results about Lennard-Jones systems and DFT calculations are made. The results of the previous clusters have been combined with that of Paper II to plot the cohesive energy Ec and the melting temperature Tm in terms of the cluster atom number Nat. The Nat1/3 linear dependence of the melting temperature (Pawlow law) is observed again for Nat > 150. In contrast, for Nat < 150, the curve diverges strongly from the Pawlow law, giving it an overall V-shape, with a linear increase of Tm when Nat goes from 55 to 13 atoms. Surprisingly, the 38 atom cluster is anomalously below the overall curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of force fields have been proposed for describing the behavior of liquid water within classical atomistic simulations, particularly molecular dynamics. In the past two decades, models that incorporate molecular polarizability and even charge transfer have become more prevalent, in attempts to develop more accurate descriptions. These are frequently parameterized to reproduce the measured thermodynamics, phase behavior, and structure of water. On the other hand, the dynamics of water is rarely considered in the construction of these models, despite its importance in their ultimate applications. In this paper, we explore the structure and dynamics of polarizable and charge-transfer water models, with a focus on timescales that directly or indirectly relate to hydrogen bond (H-bond) making and breaking. Moreover, we use the recently developed fluctuation theory for dynamics to determine the temperature dependence of these properties to shed light on the driving forces. This approach provides key insight into the timescale activation energies through a rigorous decomposition into contributions from the different interactions, including polarization and charge transfer. The results show that charge transfer effects have a negligible effect on the activation energies. Furthermore, the same tension between electrostatic and van der Waals interactions that is found in fixed-charge water models also governs the behavior of polarizable models. The models are found to involve significant energy–entropy compensation, pointing to the importance of developing water models that accurately describe the temperature dependence of water structure and dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of quasi-isothermal dehydration of thin films of pure water and aqueous sugar solutions is investigated with a dual experimental and theoretical approach. A nanoporous paper disk with a homogeneous internal structure was used as a substrate. This experimental set-up makes it possible to gather thermodynamic data under well-defined conditions, develop a numerical model, and extract needed information about the dehydration process, in particular the water activity. It is found that the temperature evolution of the pure water film is not strictly isothermal during the drying process, possibly due to the influence of water diffusion through the cellulose web of the substrate. The role of sugar is clearly detectable and its influence on the dehydration process can be identified. At the end of the drying process, trehalose molecules slow down the diffusion of water molecules through the substrate in a more pronounced way than do the glucose molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the final paper in a series that introduces geodesic molecular dynamics at constant potential energy. This dynamics is entitled NVU dynamics in analogy to standard energy-conserving Newtonian NVE dynamics. In the first two papers [T. S. Ingebrigtsen, S. Toxvaerd, O. J. Heilmann, T. B. Schro\der, and J. C. Dyre, J. Chem. Phys. 135, 104101 (2011); T. S. Ingebrigtsen, S. Toxvaerd, T. B. Schro\der, and J. C. Dyre, ibid. 135, 104102 (2011)], a numerical algorithm for simulating geodesic motion of atomic systems was developed and tested against standard algorithms. The conclusion was that the NVU algorithm has the same desirable properties as the Verlet algorithm for Newtonian NVE dynamics, i.e., it is time-reversible and symplectic. Additionally, it was concluded that NVU dynamics becomes equivalent to NVE dynamics in the thermodynamic limit. In this paper, the NVU algorithm for atomic systems is extended to be able to simulate the geodesic motion of molecules at constant potential energy. We derive an algorithm for simulating rigid bonds and test this algorithm on three different systems: an asymmetric dumbbell model, Lewis-Wahnström o-terphenyl (OTP) and rigid SPC/E water. The rigid bonds introduce additional constraints beyond that of constant potential energy for atomic systems. The rigid-bond NVU algorithm conserves potential energy, bond lengths, and step length for indefinitely long runs. The quantities probed in simulations give results identical to those of Nosé-Hoover NVT dynamics. Since Nosé-Hoover NVT dynamics is known to give results equivalent to those of NVE dynamics, the latter results show that NVU dynamics becomes equivalent to NVE dynamics in the thermodynamic limit also for molecular systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major limitation of amine-based post-combustion carbon capture technology is the necessity to regenerate amines at high temperatures, which dramatically increases operating costs. This paper concludes the effect of solvent choice as a possible route to modify the thermodynamics and kinetics characterizing the involved amine regeneration reactions and discusses whether these modifications can be economically beneficial. We report experimentally benchmarked computational chemistry calculations of monoethanolamine regeneration reactions employing aqueous and non-aqueous solvents with a wide range of dielectric constants. Unlike previous studies, our improved computational chemistry framework could accurately reproduce the right experimental activation energy of zwitterion formation. From the thermodynamics and kinetics of the predicted reactions, the use of non-aqueous solvents with small dielectric constants led to reductions in regeneration Gibbs free energies, activation barriers, and enthalpy changes. This can reduce energy consumption and give an opportunity to run desorption columns at relatively lower temperatures, thus offering the possibility of relying on low-grade waste heat as an energy input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical analysis and computer simulations (Monte Carlo and numerical integration of differential equations) indicate that the statistical effect of a small number of reacting molecules is affected by transfer of reagent molecules between nanoreactors (droplets in this study). As a model reaction, a simple reversible association A + B ⇆ C was chosen, which was studied previously without reagent transfer processes. For sufficiently fast exchange of reactant molecules and a sufficiently high number of nanoreactors, the studied systems virtually do not differ from large volume systems if overall kinetics and thermodynamics of the chemical process are concerned. However, if either reagent molecule exchange is not fast or the number of exchanging nanoreactors is low, then the stochastic effect is clearly visible, influencing the kinetics of reaching reaction equilibrium. In systems with a low number of nanoreactors, the apparent (average) equilibrium constant is affected as well. The distribution of reactant molecules in the nanoreactors is governed by stochastic processes, dependent on stochastic rate constants of all processes, chemical as well as physical (transfer of molecules outside and into droplets). When accumulation of reactant molecules in the continuous phase cannot be neglected, then the partition coefficients of reactants between the continuous and dispersed phases have to be taken into account. Distributions of reactant molecules described in the paper for systems composed of few nanoreactors can be especially important for some biochemical processes in living cells or devised corresponding artificial reactors. If the reactant molecules predominate in a continuous phase, then the kinetics and overall conversion of reversible association may be significantly affected by the presence of the dispersed phase and its catalytic behavior can be observed. It has been shown that Monte Carlo simulations, applying a devised simple algorithm, give reliable results, allowing theoretical studies of nanoscale-droplet systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose in this paper a theoretical model for fluid state thermodynamics based on modeling the fluctuation distributions and, hence, the corresponding moment generating functions providing the free energy of the system. Using the relatively simple and physically coherent gamma model for the fluctuation distributions, we obtain a complete theoretical equation of state, also giving insight into the statistical/molecular organization and phase or pseudo-phase transitions occurring under the sub- and super-critical conditions, respectively. Application to sub- and super-critical fluid water and a comparison with the experimental data show that this model provides an accurate description of fluid water thermodynamics, except close to the critical point region where limited but significant deviations from the experimental data occur. We obtain quantitative evidence of the correspondence between the sub- and super-critical thermodynamic behaviors, with the super-critical water pseudo-liquid and pseudo-gas phases being the evolution of the sub-critical water liquid and gas phases, respectively. Remarkably, according to our model, we find that for fluid water the minimal subsystem corresponding to either the liquid-like or the gas-like condition includes an infinite number of molecules in the sub-critical regime (providing the expected singularities due to macroscopic phase transitions) but only five molecules in the super-critical regime (coinciding with the minimal possible hydrogen-bonding cluster), thus suggesting that the super-critical regime be characterized by the coexistence of nanoscopic subsystems in either the pseudo-liquid or the pseudo-gas phase with each subsystem fluctuating between forming and disrupting the minimal hydrogen-bonding network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reasons for the sluggish kinetics of the hydrogen adsorption reaction in alkaline media remain a question still to be solved. This information is important to achieve a complete understanding of the mechanistic details that could lead to the production of key catalytic materials necessary for the development of a future hydrogen economy. For a better understanding of this reaction, it is important to acquire information about the thermodynamic parameters characteristic of the different steps in the reaction. Among these, the hydrogen adsorption is a key step in the process of hydrogen evolution. Although some debate still remains about the difference between adsorbed hydrogen in the underpotential deposition (UPD) region and at the overpotential deposition region, there is no doubt that understanding the former can help in the understanding of the latter. Making use of charge density measurements, we report on this paper a thermodynamic study of the hydrogen UPD process on Pt(111) in 0.05M NaOH over the range of temperatures from 283 ≤ T/K ≤ 313. The coulometric features corresponding to HUPD allow for the calculation of the hydrogen coverage and a fit to a Generalized Frumkin isotherm. From these values, different thermodynamic functions for the UPD reaction have been calculated: ΔGads, ΔSads, ΔHads, and the Pt–H bond energy. From extrapolation, a value of Δ S a d s ◦ = − 7.5 ± 4 J mol − 1 K − 1 was found, which is very close to 0, much lower than previously reported measurements both in acid and in alkaline solutions. Such value has an effect on the enthalpy and bond energy calculations, the latter having a decreasing tendency with pH and coverage. This tendency is completely different from the acidic systems and implies that the change in the thermodynamic functions due to the formation of the double layer and the reorganization of interfacial water has a strong influence on the process in high pH solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model system of identical particles interacting via a hard-sphere potential is essential in condensed matter physics; it helps to understand in and out of equilibrium phenomena in complex fluids, such as colloidal dispersions. Yet, most of the fixed time-step algorithms to study the transport properties of those systems have drawbacks due to the mathematical nature of the interparticle potential. Because of this, mapping a hard-sphere potential onto a soft potential has been recently proposed [Báez et al., J. Chem. Phys. 149, 164907 (2018)]. More specifically, using the second virial coefficient criterion, one can set a route to estimate the parameters of the soft potential that accurately reproduces the thermodynamic properties of a monocomponent hard-sphere system. However, real colloidal dispersions are multicomponent or polydisperse, making it important to find an efficient way to extend the potential model for dealing with such kind of many-body systems. In this paper, we report on the extension and applicability of the second virial coefficient criterion to build a description that correctly captures the phenomenology of both multicomponent and polydisperse hard-sphere dispersions. To assess the accuracy of the continuous potentials, we compare the structure of soft polydisperse systems with their hard-core counterpart. We also contrast the structural and thermodynamic properties of soft binary mixtures with those obtained through mean-field approximations and the Ornstein–Zernike equation for the two-component hard-sphere dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first order curvature correction to the crystal-liquid interfacial free energy is calculated using a theoretical model based on the interfacial excess thermodynamic properties. The correction parameter (δ), which is analogous to the Tolman length at a liquid-vapor interface, is found to be 0.48 ± 0.05 for a Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluid. We show that this curvature correction is crucial in predicting the nucleation barrier when the size of the crystal nucleus is small. The thermodynamic driving force (Δμ) corresponding to available simulated nucleation conditions is also calculated by combining the simulated data with a classical density functional theory. In this paper, we show that the classical nucleation theory is capable of predicting the nucleation barrier with excellent agreement to the simulated results when the curvature correction to the interfacial free energy is accounted for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermodynamics of symmetric polymer blends is investigated using the polymer reference interaction site model integral equation theory with the new molecular closures presented in the previous paper. In contrast to the atomic mean spherical approximation reported earlier by Schweizer and Curro [J. Chem. Phys. 91, 5059 (1989); Chem. Phys. 149, 105 (1990)] (in which the critical temperature is proportional to the square root of the degree of polymerization), the molecular closures predict a linear dependence of the critical temperature on the degree of polymerization, in agreement with classical mean field theory. Detailed numerical calculations using the reference molecular mean spherical approximation (R-MMSA) and the reference molecular Percus–Yevick (R-MPY) closures are presented for the intermolecular structure and effective chi parameter in symmetric blends of semiflexible chains. For the symmetric blend, the R-MMSA closure is almost an integral equation realization of mean field theory, consistent with the analytical results presented in the previous paper. With the R-MPY closure, at low densities, the effective chi parameter is significantly renormalized down from its mean field value and displays a strong composition dependence. As the density is increased, both the renormalization of the effective chi parameter and its composition dependence become weaker. These trends are consistent with recent computer simulations. The influence of chain aspect ratio and the precise choice of intermolecular potentials on blend thermodynamics and phase separation are also explored. With the exception of the composition dependence of the effective chi parameter in the R-MPY theory, the analytical thread calculations are shown to be in qualitative, and sometimes quantitative, agreement with all the numerical results for symmetric blends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Paper I [A. F. Ghobadi and J. R. Elliott, J. Chem. Phys. 139(23), 234104 (2013)], we showed that how a third-order Weeks-Chandler-Anderson (WCA) Thermodynamic Perturbation Theory and molecular simulation can be integrated to characterize the repulsive and dispersive contributions to the Helmholtz free energy for realistic molecular conformations. To this end, we focused on n-alkanes to develop a theory for fused and soft chains. In Paper II [A. F. Ghobadi and J. R. Elliott, J. Chem. Phys. 141(2), 024708 (2014)], we adapted the classical Density Functional Theory and studied the microstructure of the realistic molecular fluids in confined geometries and vapor-liquid interfaces. We demonstrated that a detailed consistency between molecular simulation and theory can be achieved for both bulk and inhomogeneous phases. In this paper, we extend the methodology to molecules with partial charges such as carbon dioxide, water, 1-alkanols, nitriles, and ethers. We show that the electrostatic interactions can be captured via an effective association potential in the framework of Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (SAFT). Implementation of the resulting association contribu¬tion in assessing the properties of these molecules at confined geometries and interfaces presents satisfactory agreement with molecular simulation and experimental data. For example, the predicted surface tension deviates less than 4% comparing to full potential simulations. Also, the theory, re¬ferred to as SAFT-γ WCA, is able to reproduce the specific orientation of hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail of 1-alkanols at the vapor-liquid interface of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe the analysis of the thermodynamic properties of cryogenic hydrogen using classical molecular dynamics (MD) and path integral MD (PIMD) method to understand the effects of the quantum nature of hydrogen molecules. We performed constant NVE MD simulations across a wide density-temperature region to establish an equation of state (EOS). Moreover, the quantum effect on the difference of molecular mechanism of pressure-volume-temperature relationship was addressed. The EOS was derived based on the classical mechanism idea only using the MD simulation results. Simulation results were compared with each MD method and experimental data. As a result, it was confirmed that although the EOS on the basis of classical MD cannot reproduce the experimental data of saturation property of hydrogen in the high-density region, the EOS on the basis of PIMD well reproduces those thermodynamic properties of hydrogen. Moreover, it was clarified that taking quantum effects into account makes the repulsion force larger and the potential well shallower. Because of this mechanism, the intermolecular interaction of hydrogen molecules diminishes and the virial pressure increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confinement has been shown to contribute to the dynamics of small molecules within nanoscale hydrophobic or hydrophilic cavities. Enclosure within a confined space can also influence energy transfer pathways, such as the enhancement of fluorescence over thermal relaxation. In this paper, the effect of confinement on the thermodynamic properties and reaction kinetics of small hydrophobic molecules confined in a soft polymeric template is detailed. A quasi-elastic neutron scattering experiment identified a substantial decrease in translational diffusion of pyrrole after solubilization within a hydrophobic cavity. This decrease in mobility is due to pyrrole's closer packing and increased density under confinement vs the bulk liquid. The decreased mobility and increased density explain the spontaneous polymerization reaction of pyrrole observed within the cavity. The precise characterization of the polymerization kinetics under confinement found that the reaction is independent of pyrrole concentration, consistent with the close packing density. Kinetic data also show that confinement dimensionality finds a thermodynamic expression in the transition state entropy. The dynamics and kinetics experiments reported here offer rare empirical insight into the important influence that cavity geometry places on the reactions they host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macroscopic theories of nucleation such as classical nucleation theory envision that clusters of the bulk stable phase form inside the bulk metastable phase. Molecular dynamics simulations are often used to elucidate nucleation mechanisms, by capturing the microscopic configurations of all the atoms. In this paper, we introduce a thermodynamic model that links macroscopic theories and atomicscale simulations and thus provide a simple and elegant framework for testing the limits of classical nucleation theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is the most common liquid on the Earth. At the same time, it is the strangest liquid having numerous anomalous properties. For this reason, although water was investigated in numerous studies, many questions still remain unanswered. Even the thermodynamic properties of water at high pressures are unknown. In this paper, we present an experimental study of the thermodynamic properties of water up to a pressure of 12 kbar and a temperature of 473 K far above the range of pressures and temperatures in previous studies. We compare the experimental results to the results of computer simulations of two models of water (SPC/E and TIP4P) and show that the SPC/E model is not appropriate at high pressure, while the TIP4P model describes the equation of state of water, but fails to describe the heat capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Paper I [O. Coquand and M. Sperl, J. Chem. Phys. 152, 124112 (2020)], we derived analytical expressions for the structure factor of the square-shoulder potential in a perturbative way around the high- and low-temperature regimes. Here, various physical properties of these solutions are derived. In particular, we investigate the large wave number sector and relate it to the contact values of the pair-correlation function. Then, the thermoelastic properties of the square-shoulder fluids are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-referential method [M. B. Sweatman, Phys. Rev. E 72, 016711 (2005)] for calculating the free energy of crystalline solids via molecular simulation is combined with thermodynamic integration to produce a technique that is convenient and efficient. Results are presented for the chemical potential of hard sphere and Lennard-Jones face centered cubic crystals that agree well with this previous work. For the small system sizes studied, this technique is about 100 times more efficient than the parameter hopping technique used previously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic microgel particles in a good solvent swell to an equilibrium size determined by a balance of electrostatic and elastic forces. When crowded, ionic microgels deswell owing to a redistribution of microions inside and outside the particles. The concentration-dependent deswelling affects the interactions between the microgels and, consequently, the suspension properties. We present a comprehensive theoretical study of crowding effects on thermodynamic, structural, and dynamic properties of weakly cross-linked ionic microgels in a good solvent. The microgels are modeled as microion- and solvent-permeable colloidal spheres with fixed charge uniformly distributed over the polymer gel backbone, whose elastic and solvent-interaction free energies are described using the Flory-Rehner theory. Two mean-field methods for calculating the crowding-dependent microgel radius are investigated and combined with calculations of the net microgel charge characterizing the electrostatic part of an effective microgel pair potential, with charge renormalization accounted for. Using this effective pair potential, thermodynamic and static suspension properties are calculated, including the osmotic pressure and microgel pair distribution function. The latter is used in our calculations of dynamic suspension properties, where we account for hydrodynamic interactions. Results for diffusion and rheological properties are presented over ranges of microgel concentration and charge. We show that deswelling mildly enhances self- diffusion and collective diffusion and the osmotic pressure, lowers the suspension viscosity, and significantly shifts the suspension crystallization point to higher concentrations. This paper presents a bottom-up approach to efficiently computing suspension properties of crowded ionic microgels using single-particle characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent paper [M. D’Alessandro, M. D’Abramo, G. Brancato, A. Di Nola, and A. Amadei, J. Phys. Chem. B 106, 11843 (2002)] we showed how to combine molecular dynamics simulations with the quasi-Gaussian entropy theory, in order to model the statistical mechanics and thermodynamics of ionic (water) solutions. In this paper we extend the method to treat nonspherical solutes, describe more thoroughly its theoretical basis and apply it to a set of more complex solute molecules in water (i.e., water, methane, ethane, methanol, and ethanol). Results show that this approach can really provide an excellent theoretical description of solute–solvent systems over a wide range of temperatures. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this and the accompanying paper [L. Smilowitz et al., J. Chem. Phys. 117, 3789 (2002)] we present a theoretical treatment and experimental study, respectively, of the β-δ solid state phase transition in the organic nitramine molecule octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX). The transition is thermodynamically first order with a measured latent heat, occurs via nucleation and growth, and exhibits a thermally activated rate of transformation. We construct a two state kinetic model of the system consisting of equilibrium terms first order in the β or δ mole fraction simulating nucleation, and second order in β and δ simulating growth. The model has four rate constants, the temperature dependence of which is described by eight parameters. We use the transition state formulation of the rate constants and apply a thermodynamic model of the activated state that associates the difference in activated state free energy in forward and reverse directions with the equilibrium transition free energy, and identifies the activated state of the growth process with a metastable melt. By associating components of the activated state free energy with independently measured thermodynamic energies we reduce the degrees of freedom to three, which we fix initially by comparison with previously published kinetic data. We apply the model to both the β-δ and δ-β transformations over a temperature range from 300 to 700 K in order to assess the theoretical validity of the model. The model reproduces the half time of the transition over this entire range, spanning conversion times from 10[sup 6] to 10[sup -4] s. In the accompanying paper we present an experimental study of the kinetics and mechanism of the phase transition based on second harmonic generation spectroscopy. We use second harmonic generation to verify the nucleation and growth mechanism of the transition and measure the mole fraction change with time... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quasi-Gaussian entropy (QGE) theory employs the fact that a free-energy change can be written as the moment-generating function of the appropriate probability distribution function of macroscopic fluctuations of an extensive property. By modeling this distribution, one obtains a model of free energy and resulting thermodynamics as a function of one state variable. In this paper the QGE theory has been extended towards theoretical models or equations of state (EOS’s) of the thermodynamics of semiclassical systems as a function of two state variables. Two “monovariate” QGE models are combined in the canonical ensemble: one based on fluctuations of the excess energy (the confined gamma state giving the temperature dependence) and the other based on fluctuations of the reduced electromagnetic moment [various models as derived in the preceding paper [Apol, Amadei, and Di Nola, J. Chem. Phys. 116, 4426 (2002)], giving the external field dependence]. This provides theoretical EOS’s for fluid systems as a function of both temperature and electromagnetic field. Special limits of these EOS’s are considered: the general weak-field EOS and the limit to a Curie’s law behavior. Based on experimental data of water and simulation data using the extended simple point charge (SPC/E) water model at 45.0 and 55.51 mol/dm3, the specific EOS based on a relatively simple combination of the confined gamma state model with a discrete uniform state field model accurately reproduces the dielectric properties of water at constant density, as the temperature dependence of the weak-field dielectric constant for gases and liquids, and the field dependence of the dielectric constant of liquids. © 2002 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a study of supercooled liquids interacting with the Lennard Jones potential and the corresponding purely repulsive (Weeks-Chandler-Andersen) potential, over a range of densities and temperatures, in order to understand the origin of their different dynamics in spite of their structures being similar. Using the configurational entropy as the thermodynamic marker via the Adam Gibbs relation, we show that the difference in the dynamics of these two systems at low temperatures can be explained from thermodynamics. At higher densities both the thermodynamical and dynamical difference between these model systems decrease, which is quantitatively demonstrated in this paper by calculating different parameters. The study also reveals the origin of the difference in pair entropy despite the similarity in the structure. Although the maximum difference in structure is obtained in the partial radial distribution function of the B type of particles, the rdf of AA pairs and AB pairs gives rise to the differences in the entropy and dynamics. This work supports the observation made in an earlier study [A. Banerjee et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 225701 (2014)] and shows that they are generic in nature, independent of density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methanol as a basic liquid and the simplest alcohol is widely used in industry and scientific experiments. However, there are still no reliable data on the thermodynamic properties of methanol at high pressure. Here, we present an experimental and computational study of the thermodynamic properties of liquid methanol under high pressure up to 15 kbar, which significantly exceeds previously reported pressures. A temperature response to a small adiabatic change in pressure has been measured using a piston–cylinder apparatus. We have compared our experimental results with the literature data for lower pressures and NIST approximations. We find that all existing experimental data do not agree with each other and with our experiments. The NIST approximations are mainly based on low pressure data and appear to be unreliable in the high pressure region, giving even qualitatively wrong results. OPLS and COMPASS force field models have been used in the method of molecular dynamics. The agreement of molecular simulation with our experimental data is definitely unsatisfactory, which means that the most common computational models of methanol are not sufficiently good. We hope that these experimental data and approximations will help in developing better computational models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical concepts in condensed matter physics are typically verified and also developed by exploiting computer simulations mostly in simple models. Predictions based on these usually isotropic models are often at odds with measurement results obtained for real materials. One of the examples is an intriguing problem within the density scaling idea that has attracted attention in recent decades due to its hallmarks of universality, i.e., the fact that the difference between the density scaling exponent and the exponent of the equation of state is observed for real materials, whereas it has not been reported for the model system. In this paper, we use new model molecules of simple but anisotropic architecture to study the effect of molecular anisotropy on the dynamic and thermodynamic properties of the system. We identify the applicable range of intermolecular interactions for a given physical process, and then we explain the reason for observed differences between the behavior of the model and real systems. It demonstrates that the new model systems open broad perspectives for simulation and theoretical research, for example, into unifying concepts in the glass transition physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lattice cluster theory (LCT) for semiflexible linear telechelic melts, developed in Paper I, is applied to examine the influence of chain stiffness on the average degree of self-assembly and the basic thermodynamic properties of linear telechelic polymer melts. Our calculations imply that chain stiffness promotes self-assembly of linear telechelic polymer melts that assemble on cooling when either polymer volume fraction f or temperature T is high, but opposes self-assembly when both f and T are sufficiently low. This allows us to identify a boundary line in the f-T plane that separates two regions of qualitatively different influence of chain stiffness on self-assembly. The enthalpy and entropy of self-assembly are usually treated as adjustable parameters in classical Flory-Huggins type theories for the equilibrium self-assembly of polymers, but they are demonstrated here to strongly depend on chain stiffness. Moreover, illustrative calculations for the dependence of the entropy density of linear telechelic polymer melts on chain stiffness demonstrate the importance of including semiflexibility within the LCT when exploring the nature of glass formation in models of linear telechelic polymer melts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new theory is developed for the self-assembly of associating molecules confined to a single spatial dimension, but allowed to explore all orientation angles. The interplay of the anisotropy of the pair potential and the low dimensional space results in orientationally ordered associated clusters. This local order enhances association due to a decrease in orientational entropy. Unlike bulk 3D fluids which are orientationally homogeneous, association in 1D necessitates the self-consistent calculation of the orientational distribution function. To test the new theory, Monte Carlo simulations are performed and the theory is found to be accurate. It is also shown that the traditional treatment in first order perturbation theory fails to accurately describe this system. The theory developed in this paper may be used as a tool to study hydrogen bonding of molecules in 1D zeolites as well as the hydrogen bonding of molecules in carbon nanotubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A good understanding and determination of colloidal interactions is paramount to comprehend and model the thermodynamic and structural properties of colloidal suspensions. In concentrated aqueous suspensions of colloids with a titratable surface charge, this determination is, however, complicated by the density dependence of the effective pair potential due to both the many-body interactions and the charge regulation of the colloids. In addition, colloids generally present a size distribution which results in a virtually infinite combination of colloid pairs. In this paper, we develop two methods and describe the corresponding algorithms to solve this problem for arbitrary size distributions. An implementation in Nim is also provided. The methods, inspired by the seminal work of Torres et al., [J. Chem. Phys. 128, 154906 (2008)] are based on a generalization of the cell and renormalized jellium models to polydisperse suspensions of spherical colloids with a charge regulating boundary condition. The latter is described by the one-pK-Stern model. The predictions of the models are confronted to the equations of state of various commercially available silica dispersions. The renormalized Yukawa parameters (effective charges and screening lengths) are also calculated. The importance of size and charge polydispersity as well as the validity of these two models is discussed in light of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermodynamics of iron clusters of various sizes, from 76 to 2452 atoms, typical of the catalyst particles used for carbon nanotubes growth, has been explored by a flat histogram Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm (called the a -mapping), developed by Soudan et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 135, 144109 (2011), Paper I]. This method provides the classical density of states, gp(Ep) in the configurational space, in terms of the potential energy of the system, with good and well controlled convergence properties, particularly in the melting phase transition zone which is of interest in this work. To describe the system, an iron potential has been implemented, called "corrected EAM" (cEAM), which approximates the MEAM potential of Lee et al. [Phys. Rev. B 64, 184102 (2001)] with an accuracy better than 3 meV/at, and a five times larger computational speed. The main simplification concerns the angular dependence of the potential, with a small impact on accuracy, while the screening coefficients Sij are exactly computed with a fast algorithm. With this potential, ergodic explorations of the clusters can be performed efficiently in a reasonable computing time, at least in the upper half of the solid zone and above. Problems of ergodicity exist in the lower half of the solid zone but routes to overcome them are discussed. The solid-liquid (melting) phase transition temperature Tm is plotted in terms of -- 1/3 the cluster atom number Nat. The standard Nat -1/3 <150, a strong divergence is observed compared to the Pawlow law. The melting transition, which begins at the surface, is stated by a Lindemann-Berry index and an atomic density analysis. Several new features are obtained for the thermodynamics of cEAM clusters, compared to the Rydberg pair potential clusters studied in Paper I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]at <150, a strong divergence is observed compared to the Pawlow law. The melting transition, which begins at the surface, is stated by a Lindemann-Berry index and an atomic density analysis. Several new features are obtained for the thermodynamics of cEAM clusters, compared to the Rydberg pair potential clusters studied in Paper I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper and Paper II, we outline a general framework for the thermodynamic description of open chemical reaction networks, with special regard to metabolic networks regulating cellular physiology and biochemical functions. We first introduce closed networks "in a box", whose thermodynamics is subjected to strict physical constraints: the mass-action law, elementarity of processes, and detailed balance. We further digress on the role of solvents and on the seemingly unacknowledged property of network independence of free energy landscapes. We then open the system by assuming that the concentrations of certain substrate species (the chemostats) are fixed, whether because promptly regulated by the environment via contact with reservoirs, or because nearly constant in a time window. As a result, the system is driven out of equilibrium. A rich algebraic and topological structure ensues in the network of internal species: Emergent irreversible cycles are associated with nonvanishing affinities, whose symmetries are dictated by the breakage of conservation laws. These central results are resumed in the relation a + b = sY between the number of fundamental affinities a, that of broken conservation laws b and the number of chemostats sY. We decompose the steady state entropy production rate in terms of fundamental fluxes and affinities in the spirit of Schnakenberg's theory of network thermodynamics, paving the way for the forthcoming treatment of the linear regime, of efficiency and tight coupling, of free energy transduction, and of thermodynamic constraints for network reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we develop a thermodynamic perturbation theory for two site associating fluids which exhibit bond cooperativity (system energy is non-pairwise additive). We include both steric hindrance and ring formation such that the equation of state is bond angle dependent. Here, the bond angle is the angle separating the centers of the two association sites. As a test, new Monte Carlo simulations are performed, and the theory is found to accurately predict the internal energy as well as the distribution of associated clusters as a function of bond angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose to couple a state-resolved rovibrational coarse-grain model to a stochastic particle method for simulating internal energy excitation and dissociation of a molecular gas. A coarse-grained model for a rovibrational reaction mechanism of an ab initio database developed at the NASA Ames Research Center for the N2–N system is modified based on variably spaced energy bins. The thermodynamic properties of the modified coarse-grained model allow us to closely match those obtained with the full set of rovibrational levels over a wide temperature range, while using a number of bins significantly smaller than the complete mechanism. The chemical-kinetic behavior of equally and variably spaced bin formulations is compared by simulating internal energy excitation and dissociation of nitrogen in an adiabatic, isochoric reactor. We find that the variably spaced formulation is better suited for reproducing the dynamics of the full database at conditions of interest in the Earth atmospheric entry. Also in this paper, we discuss the details of our particle method implementation for the uniform rovibrational collisional bin model and describe changes to the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) collision algorithm, which become necessary to accommodate our state-resolved reaction mechanism for excitation and dissociation reactions. The DSMC code is then verified against equivalent master equation calculations. In these simulations, state-resolved cross sections are used in analytical form. These cross sections verify micro-reversibility relations for the rovibrational bins and allow for fast execution of the DSMC code. In our verification calculations, we obtain very close agreement for the concentrations profiles of N and N2, as well as the translational and rovibrational mode temperatures obtained independently through both methods. In addition to macroscopic moments, we compare discrete internal energy populations predicted at selected time steps via DSMC and the master equations. We observe good agreement between the two sets of results within the limits imposed by statistical scatter, which is inherent to particle-based DSMC solutions. As future work, the rovibrational coarse-grain model coupled to the particle method will allow us to study 3D reentry flow configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solid-solid and melting transitions that occur in Lennard-Jones LJn clusters have been both fascinating and challenging for the computational physics community over the last several decades. A number of attempts to extend these studies to the quantum case have also been made. Particularly interesting is the exploration of the parallel between the thermally induced and quantum-induced transitions. Yet, both numerically accurate and systematic studies of the latter are still lacking. In this paper, we apply the diffusion Monte Carlo method to the especially difficult case of LJ38. Starting with the truncated octahedral global minimum configuration, as the de Boer quantum delocalization parameterΛincreases, the system undergoes two consecutive solid-solid transitions, switching to anti-Mackay configurations. At sufficiently large values of Λ, the cluster is completely "melted" which is manifested by delocalization of the ground statewavefunction over a very large number of minima that represent several structural motifs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluctuating hydrodynamics (FHD) provides a framework for modeling microscopic fluctuations in a manner consistent with statistical mechanics and nonequilibrium thermodynamics. This paper presents an FHD formulation for isothermal reactive incompressible liquid mixtures with stochastic chemistry. Fluctuating multispecies mass diffusion is formulated using a Maxwell–Stefan description without assuming a dilute solution, and momentum dynamics is described by a stochastic Navier–Stokes equation for the fluid velocity. We consider a thermodynamically consistent generalization for the law of mass action for non-dilute mixtures and use it in the chemical master equation (CME) to model reactions as a Poisson process. The FHD approach provides remarkable computational efficiency over traditional reaction-diffusion master equation methods when the number of reactive molecules is large, while also retaining accuracy even when there are as few as ten reactive molecules per hydrodynamic cell. We present a numerical algorithm to solve the coupled FHD and CME equations and validate it on both equilibrium and nonequilibrium problems. We simulate a diffusively driven gravitational instability in the presence of an acid-base neutralization reaction, starting from a perfectly flat interface. We demonstrate that the coupling between velocity and concentration fluctuations dominates the initial growth of the instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The numerical computation of chemical potential in dense non-homogeneous fluids is a key problem in the study of confined fluid thermodynamics. To this day, several methods have been proposed; however, there is still need for a robust technique, capable of obtaining accurate estimates at large average densities. A widely established technique is the Widom insertion method, which computes the chemical potential by sampling the energy of insertion of a test particle. Non-homogeneity is accounted for by assigning a density dependent weight to the insertion points. However, in dense systems, the poor sampling of the insertion energy is a source of inefficiency, hampering a reliable convergence. We have recently presented a new technique for the chemical potential calculation in homogeneous fluids. This novel method enhances the sampling of the insertion energy via well-tempered metadynamics, reaching accurate estimates at very large densities. In this paper, we extend the technique to the case of non-homogeneous fluids. The method is successfully tested on a confined Lennard-Jones fluid. In particular, we show that, thanks to the improved sampling, our technique does not suffer from a systematic error that affects the classic Widom method for non-homogeneous fluids, providing a precise and accurate result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We extend the vibronic exciton theory introduced in our previous work to study singlet fission dynamics, in particular addressing recent indications of the importance of vibronic coupling in this process. A microscopic and non-perturbative treatment of electronic and selected vibrational degrees of freedom in combination with Redfield theory allows us to dynamically consider clusters of molecules under conditions close to those in molecular crystals that exhibit fission. Using bulk pentacene as a concrete example, our results identify a number of factors that render fission rapid and effective. Strong coupling to high-frequency Holstein modes generates resonances between the photo-prepared singlet and product triplet states. We furthermore find the large number of triplet combinations associated with bulk periodic systems to be critical to the fission process under such vibronically resonant conditions. In addition, we present results including, in an approximate manner, the effects of Peierls coupling, indicating that this factor can both enhance and suppress fission depending on its interplay with vibronic resonance and thermodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attempts to establish an absolute single-ion hydration free energy scale have followed multiple strategies. Two central themes consist of (1) employing bulk pair thermodynamic data and an underlying interfacial-potential-free model to partition the hydration free energy into individual contributions [Marcus, Latimer, and tetraphenyl-arsonium/tetraphenyl-borate (TATB) methods] or (2) utilizing bulk thermodynamic and cluster data to estimate the free energy to insert a proton into water, including in principle an interfacial potential contribution [the cluster pair approximation (CPA)]. While the results for the hydration free energy of the proton agree remarkably well between the three approaches in the first category, the value differs from the CPA result by roughly +10 kcal/mol, implying a value for the effective electrochemical surface potential of water of −0.4 V. This paper provides a computational re-analysis of the TATB method for single-ion free energies using quasichemical theory. A previous study indicated a significant discrepancy between the free energies of hydration for the TA cation and the TB anion. We show that the main contribution to this large computed difference is an electrostatic artifact arising from modeling interactions in periodic boundaries. No attempt is made here to develop more accurate models for the local ion/solvent interactions that may lead to further small free energy differences between the TA and TB ions, but the results clarify the primary importance of interfacial potential effects for analysis of the various free energy scales. Results are also presented, related to the TATB assumption in the organic solvents dimethyl sulfoxide and 1,2-dichloroethane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper derives and discusses the configuration-space Langevin equation describing a physically aging R-simple system and the corresponding Smoluchowski equation. Externally controlled thermodynamic variables like temperature, density, and pressure enter the description via the single parameter Ts/T, in which T is the bath temperature and Ts is the "systemic" temperature defined at any time t as the thermodynamic equilibrium temperature of the state point with density p(t) and potential energy U(t). In equilibrium, Ts ≌ T with fluctuations that vanish in the thermodynamic limit. In contrast to Tool's fictive temperature and other effective temperatures in glass science, the systemic temperature is defined for any configuration with a well-defined density, even if it is not close to equilibrium. Density and systemic temperature define an aging phase diagram, in which the aging system traces out a curve. Predictions are discussed for aging following various densitytemperature and pressure-temperature jumps from one equilibrium state to another, as well as for a few other scenarios. The proposed theory implies that R-simple glass-forming liquids are characterized by the dynamic Prigogine-Defay ratio being equal to unity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We formulate and apply a non-replica equilibrium theory for the fluid-glass transition, glass thermodynamic properties, and jamming of hard spheres in three and all higher spatial dimensions. Numerical predictions for the zero complexity glass transition and jamming packing fractions, and a 'densest' equilibrium glass, are made. The equilibrium glass equation of state is regarded as the practical continuation of its fluid analog up to jamming. The analysis provides a possible resolution to the inability of any fluid virial series re-summation based equation of state to capture jamming at a reasonable volume fraction. The numerical results are quantitatively compared with various simulation data for equilibrium hard sphere glasses in 3 to 12 dimensions. Although there are uncertainties in this comparison, the predicted zero complexity or configurational entropy and corresponding jamming packing fractions do agree well with two characteristic packing fractions deduced from the dynamic simulation data. The similarities and differences of our approach compared to the replica approach are discussed. The high dimensional scaling of the equilibrium glass transition and jamming volume fractions are also derived. The developments in this paper serve as input to Paper II [R. Jadrich and K. S. Schweizer, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 054502 (2013)] that constructs a self-consistent integral equation theory of the 3-dimensional hard sphere pair structure, in real and Fourier space, in the metastable regime up to jamming. The latter is employed as input to a microscopic dynamical theory of single particle activated barrier hopping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical thermodynamics of electrolytes in porous electrodes is qualitatively different from that in the bulk with planar electrodes when the pore size is comparable to the size of the electrolyte ions. In this paper, we discuss the thermodynamics of a two component electrolyte in a porous electrode by using Monte Carlo simulation. We show that electrolyte ions are selectively adsorbed in porous electrodes and the relative concentration of the two components significantly changes as a function of the applied voltage and the pore size. This selectivity is observed not only for the counterions but also for the coions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The representability and transferability of effective pair potentials used in multiscale simulations of soft matter systems is ill understood. In this paper, we study liquid state systems composed of n-alkanes, the coarse-grained (CG) potential of which may be assumed pairwise additive and has been obtained using the conditional reversible work (CRW) method. The CRW method is a free-energy-based coarse-graining procedure, which, by means of performing the coarse graining at pair level, rigorously provides a pair potential that describes the interaction free energy between two mapped atom groups (beads) embedded in their respective chemical environments. The pairwise nature of the interactions combined with their dependence on the chemically bonded environment makes CRW potentials ideally suited in studies of chemical transferability. We report CRW potentials for hexane using a mapping scheme that merges two heavy atoms in one CG bead. It is shown that the model is chemically and thermodynamically transferable to alkanes of different chain lengths in the liquid phase at temperatures between the melting and the boiling point under atmospheric (1 atm) pressure conditions. It is further shown that CRW-CG potentials may be readily obtained from a single simulation of the liquid state using the free energy perturbation method, thereby providing a fast and versatile molecular coarse graining method for aliphatic molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newly developed lattice cluster theory (in Paper I) for the thermodynamics of solutions of telechelic polymers is used to examine the phase behavior of these complex fluids when effective polymer-solvent interactions are unfavorable. The telechelics are modeled as linear, fully flexible, polymer chains with mono-functional stickers at the two chain ends, and these chains are assumed to self-assemble upon cooling. Phase separation is generated through the interplay of self-assembly and polymer/solvent interactions that leads to an upper critical solution temperature phase separation. The variations of the boundaries for phase stability and the critical temperature and composition are analyzed in detail as functions of the number M of united atom groups in a telechelic chain and the microscopic nearest neighbor interaction energy [variant_greek_epsilon]s driving the self-assembly. The coupling between self-assembly and unfavorable polymer/solvent interactions produces a wide variety of nontrivial patterns of phase behavior, including an enhancement of miscibility accompanying the increase of the molar mass of the telechelics under certain circumstances. Special attention is devoted to understanding this unusual trend in miscibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trotter's theorem forms the theoretical basis of most modern molecular dynamics. In essence this theorem states that a time displacement operator (a Lie operator) constructed by exponentiating a sum of noncommuting operators can be approximated by a product of single operators provided the time interval is 'very small.' In theory 'very small' implies infinitesimally small (at which point the approximate product becomes exact), while in practical analysis a finite time interval is divided into several small subintervals or steps. It follows, therefore, that the larger the number of steps the better the approximation to the exact time displacement operator. The question therefore arises: How many steps are sufficient? For bounded operators, standard theorems are available to provide the answer. In this paper we show that a very simple combinatorial formula can be derived which allows the computation of the global differences (as a function of the number of steps) between the Taylor coefficients of the exact time displacement operator and an approximate one constructed by using a finite number of steps. The formula holds for both bounded and nonbounded operators and shows, quantitatively, what is qualitatively expected-that the error decreases with increasing number of steps. Furthermore, the formula applies irrespective of the complexity of the system, boundary conditions, or the thermodynamic ensemble employed for averaging the initial conditions. The analysis yields explicit expressions for the Taylor coefficients which are then used to compute the errors. In the case of the algorithmically based practical numerical simulations in which fixed, albeit small, steps are repeatedly applied, the rise in the number of steps does not reduce the size of the steps but increases the total time of interest. The combinatorial formula shows that, here, the errors diverge. Furthermore, this work can be used to supplement other efforts such as the use of shadow Hamiltonians where the truncation of the series expansion of the latter will produce errors in the higher order propagator moments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different theoretical approaches for the thermodynamic properties and the equation of state for multicomponent mixtures of nonadditive hard spheres in d dimensions are presented in a unified way. These include the theory by Hamad, our previous formulation, the original MIX1 theory, a recently proposed modified MIX1 theory, as well as a nonlinear extension of the MIX1 theory proposed in this paper. Explicit expressions for the compressibility factor, Helmholtz free energy, and second, third, and fourth virial coefficients are provided. A comparison is carried out with recent Monte Carlo data for the virial coefficients of asymmetric mixtures and with available simulation data for the compressibility factor, the critical consolute point, and the liquid-liquid coexistence curves. The merits and limitations of each theory are pointed out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigate the possibility to detect the hypothesized liquid-liquid critical point of water in supercooled aqueous solutions of salts. Molecular dynamics computer simulations are conducted on bulk TIP4P water and on an aqueous solution of sodium chloride in TIP4P water, with concentration c=0.67 mol/kg. The liquid-liquid critical point is found both in the bulk and in the solution. Its position in the thermodynamic plane shifts to higher temperature and lower pressure for the solution. Comparison with available experimental data allowed us to produce the phase diagrams of both bulk water and the aqueous solution as measurable in experiments. Given the position of the liquid-liquid critical point in the solution as obtained from our simulations, the experimental determination of the hypothesized liquid-liquid critical point of water in aqueous solutions of salts appears possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, based on the integrated tempering sampling we introduce a selective integrated tempering sampling (SITS) method for the efficient conformation sampling and thermodynamics calculations for a subsystem in a large one, such as biomolecules solvated in aqueous solutions. By introducing a potential surface scaled with temperature, the sampling over the configuration space of interest (e.g., the solvated biomolecule) is selectively enhanced but the rest of the system (e.g., the solvent) stays largely unperturbed. The applications of this method to biomolecular systems allow highly efficient sampling over both energy and configuration spaces of interest. Comparing to the popular and powerful replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD), the method presented in this paper is significantly more efficient in yielding relevant thermodynamics quantities (such as the potential of mean force for biomolecular conformational changes in aqueous solutions). It is more important that SITS but not REMD yielded results that are consistent with the traditional umbrella sampling free energy calculations when explicit solvent model is used since SITS avoids the sampling of the irrelevant phase space (such as the boiling water at high temperatures). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents dielectric relaxation data for organic glass-forming liquids compiled from different groups and supplemented by new measurements. The main quantity of interest is the “minimum slope” of the α dielectric loss plotted as a function of frequency in a log-log plot, i.e., the numerically largest slope above the loss peak frequency. The data consisting of 347 spectra for 53 liquids show prevalence of minimum slopes close to -1/2, corresponding to approximate t dependence of the dielectric relaxation function at short times. The paper studies possible correlations between minimum slopes and (1) temperature (quantified via the loss peak frequency); (2) how well an inverse power-law fits data above the loss peak; (3) degree of time-temperature superposition; (4) loss peak half width; (5) deviation from non-Arrhenius behavior; (6) loss strength. For the first three points we find correlations that show a special status of liquids with minimum slopes close to -1/2. For the last three points only fairly insignificant correlations are found, with the exception of large-loss liquids that have minimum slopes that are numerically significantly larger than 1/2. We conclude that—excluding large-loss liquids—approximate t relaxation appears to be a generic property of the α relaxation of organic glass formers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We theoretically study the viscoelastic and thermodynamic properties of transient gels comprised of telechelic associating polymers. We extend classical theories of transient networks so that correlations among polymer chains through the network junctions are taken into account. This extension enables us to investigate how rheological quantities such as elastic modulus, viscosity, and relaxation time are affected by the association equilibrium, and how these quantities are related to the aggregation number (or multiplicity) of the junctions. In this paper, we assume, in the conventional manner, that chains are elastically effective if both their ends are connected with other chains. It is shown that the dynamic shear moduli are well described in terms of the Maxwell model. As a result of the correlation, the reduced moduli (moduli divided by the polymer concentration) increase with the concentration, but become independent of the concentration in the high-concentration range. The fraction of pairwise junctions is larger at lower concentrations, indicating the presence of concatenated chains in the system, which decreases as the concentration increases. This leads to a network relaxation time that increases with the concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]