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Classical molecular dynamics simulations have recently become a standard tool for the study of electrochemical systems. State-of-the-art approaches represent the electrodes as perfect conductors, modeling their responses to the charge distribution of electrolytes via the so-called fluctuating charge model. These fluctuating charges are additional degrees of freedom that, in a Born–Oppenheimer spirit, adapt instantaneously to changes in the environment to keep each electrode at a constant potential. Here, we show that this model can be treated in the framework of constrained molecular dynamics, leading to a symplectic and time-reversible algorithm for the evolution of all the degrees of freedom of the system. The computational cost and the accuracy of the new method are similar to current alternative implementations of the model. The advantage lies in the accuracy and long term stability guaranteed by the formal properties of the algorithm and in the possibility to systematically introduce additional kinematic conditions of arbitrary number and form. We illustrate the performance of the constrained dynamics approach by enforcing the electroneutrality of the electrodes in a simple capacitor consisting of two graphite electrodes separated by a slab of liquid water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine how and when quantum evolution can be approximated in terms of (generalized) classical dynamics in calculations of correlation functions, with a focus on the symmetrized time correlation function introduced by Schofield. To that end, this function is expressed as a path integral in complex time and written in terms of sum and difference path variables. Taylor series expansion of the path integral's exponent to first and second order in the difference variables leads to two original developments. The first order expansion is used to obtain a simple, path integral based, derivation of the so-called Schofield's quantum correction factor. The second order result is employed to show how quantum mechanical delocalization manifests itself in the approximation of the correlation function and hinders, even in the semiclassical limit, the interpretation of the propagators in terms of sets of guiding classical trajectories dressed with appropriate weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a method based on dynamical nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (D-NEMD) that allows one to produce rigorous ensemble averages for the transient regimes. We illustrate the method by describing the formation of convective cells within a two-dimensional fluid system of soft disks in which a gravity field and a thermal gradient are present. We analyze two different physical settings, with the thermal gradient orthogonal or parallel to the gravity field. In both settings, we follow the formation of the convective flows from the initial time, when the perturbation is turned on, to the steady state. In the first setting (orthogonal fields) we investigate several different cases, varying the initial stationary ensemble and the perturbing field. We find that the final steady-state convective cell is independent of the specific sequence of perturbation fields, which only affects the transient behavior. In all cases, we find that the convective roll is formed through a sequence of damped oscillations of the local fields (density, temperature, and velocity), superimposed to an overall relaxation toward the local steady-state values. Then, we show how D-NEMD can be applied to the Rayleigh–Bénard (RB) setting (parallel fields). In these conditions, the convective flow only establishes above a threshold, without a preferred verse of rotation. We analyze only the response to the ignition of the gravity field in a stationary system under the action of a vertical thermal gradient. Also in this case we characterize the transient response by following the evolution of the density, temperature, and velocity fields until the steady-state RB convective cell is formed. The observed transients are similar to those observed in the case of orthogonal fields. However, the final steady states are quite different. Finally, we briefly discuss the conditions for the general applicability of the D-NEMD method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the poisoning of the nickel(111) surface due to the formation of carbon clusters is illustrated. The Ni(111) surface is a particularly favorable surface to create a graphene overlayer since there is a good geometrical matching between the lattice parameters of Ni(111) and the graphene monolayer.

Shows that the molecular dynamics simulation of systems where the molecules are subjected to holonomic constraints the isobaric-isothermal (NPT) techniques can be applied by scaling in space the atomic coordinates rather than the molecular center of mass. Lagrangian derivation for constrained systems in atomic stress description; Hoover-type NPT equations of motion.

The orientational diffusion of a nitrogen molecule N2 in a three-dimensional crystal of argon atoms is studied by using the reaction coordinate formalism and the Bennett–Chandler approach. To study the two-dimensional orientational diffusion the reaction coordinate formalism has to be generalized to multichannel reactions. The rate coefficient for the motion between the six stable orientational states is determined from correlation function expressions, which include corrections to transition-state theory due to recrossings of free energy barriers. At high temperatures the simulation results are compared with results obtained by standard molecular dynamics methods. At low temperatures the transmission coefficient is computed and the dependence of the plateau value upon the density of the surrounding argon matrix and upon the isotopes, chosen to form the N2 molecule, is investigated. © 1995 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise results for the thermal conductivity of the Lennard-Jones liquid obtained by equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) are presented. These are compared in detail with previous nonequilibrium MD results. Effects due to the truncation of the potential and the particle number dependence are considered. The contributions of the partial correlation functions to the total one were separately calculated. Main results are: (i) in contrast to the viscosity, the thermal conductivity is rather insensitive to the MD conditions, even for the state corresponding virtually to the triple point of argon. The reason for this originates from the simple short ranged time decay of the correlation function. (ii) For the states considered, the partial correlation function involving the ‘‘potential–potential’’ term governs the transport coefficient. (iii) Nonequilibrium MD and MD give consistent values, except for the nonequilibrium method devised by Heyes which generates data far off the range permitted by the error bars. (iv) The computed thermal conductivities fall well in line with experimental data for argon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]