Computer simulation of polarizable fluids: a consistent and fast way for dealing with polarizability and hyperpolarizability

Structural and thermodynamic properties of different phases of supercooled liquid water

Computer simulation results are reported for a realistic polarizable potential model of water in the supercooled region. Three states, corresponding to the low density amorphous ice, high density amorphous ice, and very high density amorphous ice phases are chosen for the analyses. These states are located close to the liquid-liquid coexistence lines already shown to exist for the considered model. Thermodynamic and structural quantities are calculated, in order to characterize the properties of the three phases. The results point out the increasing relevance of the interstitial neighbors, which clearly appear in going from the low to the very high density amorphous phases. The interstitial neighbors are found to be, at the same time, also distant neighbors along the hydrogen bonded network of the molecules. The role of these interstitial neighbors has been discussed in connection with the interpretation of recent neutron scattering measurements. The structural properties of the systems are characterized by looking at the angular distribution of neighboring molecules, volume and face area distribution of the Voronoi polyhedra, and order parameters. The cumulative analysis of all the corresponding results confirms the assumption that a close similarity between the structural arrangement of molecules in the three explored amorphous phases and that of the ice polymorphs I(h), III, and VI exists.

Inelastic neutron scattering and molecular dynamics determination of the interaction potential in liquid CD4

Anisotropic interactions of liquid CD4 are studied in detail by comparison of inelastic neutron Brillouin scattering data with molecular dynamics simulations using up to four different models of the methane site-site potential. We demonstrate that the experimental dynamic structure factor S(Q,omega) acts as a highly discriminating quantity for possible interaction schemes. In particular, the Q evolution of the spectra enables a selective probing of the short- and medium-range features of the anisotropic potentials. We show that the preferential configuration of methane dimers at liquid densities can thus be discerned by analyzing the orientation-dependent model potential curves, in light of the experimental and simulation results.

Spinodal of supercooled polarizable water

We develop a series of molecular dynamics computer simulations of liquid water, performed with a polarizable potential model, to calculate the spinodal line and the curve of maximum density inside the metastable supercooled region. After analyzing the structural properties, the liquid spinodal line is followed down to T=210K . A monotonic decrease is found in the explored region. The curve of maximum density bends on approaching the spinodal line. These results, in agreement with similar studies on nonpolarizable models of water, are consistent with the existence of a second critical point for water.

Gear formalism of the always stable predictor-corrector method for molecular dynamics of polarizable molecules

The recently proposed always stable predictor-corrector method for molecular dynamics of polarizable molecules [J. Kolafa, J. Comput. Chem. 25, 335 (2004)] is rewritten in the Gear formalism. This equivalent form simplifies an implementation if the Newton equations of motion are integrated by the Gear method and also enables a variable integration step. Algorithms are presented for both the original and new versions and tested on a pair of polarizable ions exhibiting anharmonic vibrations.

Development of a new polarizable potential model of hydrogen fluoride and comparison with other effective models in liquid and supercritical states

Development of a new polarizable potential of hydrogen fluoride through the reparametrization of the JV-P model is presented: The length of the H-F bond has been shortened and the other parameters of the model have been readjusted accordingly. The structural, thermodynamic, and liquid-vapor equilibrium properties of the new model are compared with those of other effective potential models of HF as well as with experimental data in a broad range of thermodynamic states, from near-freezing to supercritical conditions. It is found that although the reparametrization does not change the structural properties of the HF model noticeably at the level of the pair correlations, it improves the reproduction of the thermodynamic properties of hydrogen fluoride over the entire range of existence of a thermodynamically stable liquid phase and also that of the vapor-liquid coexistence curve. However, the new model, which still overestimates the close-contact separation of the HF molecules, underestimates the density of the coexisting liquid phase and overestimates the saturation pressure, probably due to the too steep repulsion of the potential function.

Fast evaluation of polarizable forces

Polarizability is considered to be the single most significant development in the next generation of force fields for biomolecular simulations. However, the self-consistent computation of induced atomic dipoles in a polarizable force field is expensive due to the cost of solving a large dense linear system at each step of a simulation. This article introduces methods that reduce the cost of computing the electrostatic energy and force of a polarizable model from about 7.5 times the cost of computing those of a nonpolarizable model to less than twice the cost. This is probably sufficient for the routine use of polarizable forces in biomolecular simulations. The reduction in computing time is achieved by an efficient implementation of the particle-mesh Ewald method, an accurate and robust predictor based on least-squares fitting, and non-stationary iterative methods whose fast convergence is accelerated by a simple preconditioner. Furthermore, with these methods, the self-consistent approach with a larger timestep is shown to be faster than the extended Lagrangian approach. The use of dipole moments from previous timesteps to calculate an accurate initial guess for iterative methods leads to an energy drift, which can be made acceptably small. The use of a zero initial guess does not lead to perceptible energy drift if a reasonably strict convergence criterion for the iteration is imposed.

Liquid–vapor and liquid–liquid phase equilibria of the Brodholt–Sampoli–Vallauri polarizable water model

Liquid-vapor and liquid-liquid phase equilibria of the polarizable Brodholt-Sampoli-Vallauri water model have been investigated by Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo computer simulations. The coexisting liquid and vapor densities and energy of vaporization of the model is found to be in a reasonable agreement with experimental data in the entire temperature range of liquid-vapor coexistence. The critical temperature and density of the model are found to be 615 K and 0.278 gcm(3), respectively, close to the experimental values of 647.1 K and 0.322 gcm(3). In the supercooled state two distinct liquid-liquid coexistence regions are observed. The existence of liquid-liquid phase separation of a polarizable water model is demonstrated for the first time.

Ab initio determination of the electric multipole moments and static (hyper)polarizability of HCCX, X = F, Cl, Br, and I

We report electric multipole moments and (hyper)polarizabilities for the haloethynes HCCX, X = F, Cl, Br, and I. The molecular properties have been obtained from finite-field self-consistent field, Møller-Plesset perturbation theory and coupled cluster calculations with large, carefully optimized basis sets of gaussian-type functions. The mean dipole (hyper)polarizability and the mean quadrupole polarizability near the Hartree-Fock limit are alpha/e(2)a(0) (2)E(h) (-1) = 23.74 (HCCF), 37.26 (HCCCl), 43.97 (HCCBr), 56.44 (HCCI), beta/e(3)a(0) (3)E(h) (-2) = -73.9 (HCCF), -67.0 (HCCCl), -39.5 (HCCBr), 42.7 (HCCI), gamma/e(4)a(0) (4)E(h) (-3) = 4,914 (HCCF), 6,554 (HCCCl), 9,328 (HCCBr), 14,949 (HCCI), and C/e(2)a(0) (4)E(h) (-1) = 160.3 (HCCF), 317.1 (HCCCl), 471.2 (HCCBr), 671.2 (HCCI). Electron correlation has a small effect on the dipole polarizability but affects strongly the hyperpolarizability. Agreement with the available experimental data is more or less fair for HCCF, HCCCl, and HCCBr but less satisfactory for HCCI.

Time-reversible always stable predictor-corrector method for molecular dynamics of polarizable molecules

An improved method for classic molecular dynamics of polarizable molecules is proposed. The method uses a predictor, one evaluation of the electrostatic field per integration step, and relaxation (damping). The self-consistent solution is approximated with error of the second order (with respect to the timestep). The time reversibility (long-time energy conservation) error is of the (2n - 1)th order, where n is the predictor length. The method is easy to implement, efficient, accurate, and suitable for any model of polarizability.

Molecular dynamics simulation of the fragile glass-former orthoterphenyl: A flexible molecule model

We present a realistic model of the fragile glass-former orthoterphenyl and the results of extensive molecular dynamics simulations in which we investigated its basic static and dynamic properties. In this model the internal molecular interactions between the three rigid phenyl rings are described by a set of force constants, including harmonic and anharmonic terms; the interactions among different molecules are described by Lennard-Jones site-site potentials. Self-diffusion properties are discussed in detail together with the temperature and momentum dependencies of the self-intermediate scattering function. The simulation data are compared with existing experimental results and with the main predictions of the mode-coupling theory.

Theory of electrostatic interactions in macromolecules

In the past year, substantial progress has been made in the modeling of electrostatic interactions in biomolecules. This review highlights advances in the following areas: first, the efficient computation of long-range electrostatic interactions in detailed molecular simulations; second, the application of the Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatic model in conformational analysis; third, the application of the Poisson-Boltzmann model in quantum chemistry calculations; fourth, the development of atomic parameters; and finally, the modeling of ionization equilibria in proteins.