Molecular dynamics simulations at constant pressure and/or temperature

Abstract

In the molecular dynamics simulation method for fluids, the equations of motion for a collection of particles in a fixed volume are solved numerically. The energy, volume, and number of particles are constant for a particular simulation, and it is assumed that time averages of properties of the simulated fluid are equal to microcanonical ensemble averages of the same properties. In some situations, it is desirable to perform simulations of a fluid for particular values of temperature and/or pressure or under conditions in which the energy and volume of the fluid can fluctuate. This paper proposes and discusses three methods for performing molecular dynamics simulations under conditions of constant temperature and/or pressure, rather than constant energy and volume. For these three methods, it is shown that time averages of properties of the simulated fluid are equal to averages over the isoenthalpic–isobaric, canonical, and isothermal–isobaric ensembles. Each method is a way of describing the dynamics of a certain number of particles in a volume element of a fluid while taking into account the influence of surrounding particles in changing the energy and/or density of the simulated volume element. The influence of the surroundings is taken into account without introducing unwanted surface effects. Examples of situations where these methods may be useful are discussed.