ab-initio molecular dynamics: Topics by WorldWideScience.org

Sample records for ab-initio molecular dynamics

Multiple time step integrators in ab initio molecular dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luehr, Nathan; Martínez, Todd J.; Markland, Thomas E.

2014-01-01

Multiple time-scale algorithms exploit the natural separation of time-scales in chemical systems to greatly accelerate the efficiency of molecular dynamics simulations. Although the utility of these methods in systems where the interactions are described by empirical potentials is now well established, their application to ab initio molecular dynamics calculations has been limited by difficulties associated with splitting the ab initio potential into fast and slowly varying components. Here we present two schemes that enable efficient time-scale separation in ab initio calculations: one based on fragment decomposition and the other on range separation of the Coulomb operator in the electronic Hamiltonian. We demonstrate for both water clusters and a solvated hydroxide ion that multiple time-scale molecular dynamics allows for outer time steps of 2.5 fs, which are as large as those obtained when such schemes are applied to empirical potentials, while still allowing for bonds to be broken and reformed throughout the dynamics. This permits computational speedups of up to 4.4x, compared to standard Born-Oppenheimer ab initio molecular dynamics with a 0.5 fs time step, while maintaining the same energy conservation and accuracy
A Force Balanced Fragmentation Method for ab Initio Molecular Dynamic Simulation of Protein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingyuan Xu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available A force balanced generalized molecular fractionation with conjugate caps (FB-GMFCC method is proposed for ab initio molecular dynamic simulation of proteins. In this approach, the energy of the protein is computed by a linear combination of the QM energies of individual residues and molecular fragments that account for the two-body interaction of hydrogen bond between backbone peptides. The atomic forces on the caped H atoms were corrected to conserve the total force of the protein. Using this approach, ab initio molecular dynamic simulation of an Ace-(ALA9-NME linear peptide showed the conservation of the total energy of the system throughout the simulation. Further a more robust 110 ps ab initio molecular dynamic simulation was performed for a protein with 56 residues and 862 atoms in explicit water. Compared with the classical force field, the ab initio molecular dynamic simulations gave better description of the geometry of peptide bonds. Although further development is still needed, the current approach is highly efficient, trivially parallel, and can be applied to ab initio molecular dynamic simulation study of large proteins.
Bicanonical ab Initio Molecular Dynamics for Open Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Frenzel, Johannes; Meyer, Bernd; Marx, Dominik

2017-08-08

Performing ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of open systems, where the chemical potential rather than the number of both nuclei and electrons is fixed, still is a challenge. Here, drawing on bicanonical sampling ideas introduced two decades ago by Swope and Andersen [ J. Chem. Phys. 1995 , 102 , 2851 - 2863 ] to calculate chemical potentials of liquids and solids, an ab initio simulation technique is devised, which introduces a fictitious dynamics of two superimposed but otherwise independent periodic systems including full electronic structure, such that either the chemical potential or the average fractional particle number of a specific chemical species can be kept constant. As proof of concept, we demonstrate that solvation free energies can be computed from these bicanonical ab initio simulations upon directly superimposing pure bulk water and the respective aqueous solution being the two limiting systems. The method is useful in many circumstances, for instance for studying heterogeneous catalytic processes taking place on surfaces where the chemical potential of reactants rather than their number is controlled and opens a pathway toward ab initio simulations at constant electrochemical potential.
Ab Initio molecular dynamics with excited electrons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alavi, A.; Kohanoff, J.; Parrinello, M.; Frenkel, D.

1994-01-01

A method to do ab initio molecular dynamics suitable for metallic and electronically hot systems is described. It is based on a density functional which is costationary with the finite-temperature functional of Mermin, with state being included with possibly fractional occupation numbers.
An ab initio molecular

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

mechanisms of two molecular crystals: An ab initio molecular dynamics ... for Computation in Molecular and Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, School of ..... NSAF Foundation of National Natural Science Foun- ... Matter 14 2717.
Hydrogen Bond Dynamics in Aqueous Solutions: Ab initio Molecular ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Rate equation for the decay of CHB(t) · Definition of Hydrogen Bonds · Results of Molecular Dynamics · Dynamics of anion-water and water-water hydrogen bonds · Structural relaxation of anion-water & water-water H-bonds · Ab initio Molecular Dynamics : · Slide 14 · Dynamics of hydrogen bonds : CPMD results · Slide 16.
Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Furfural at the Liquid-Solid Interface

OpenAIRE

Sanwu Wang; Hongli Dang; Wenhua Xue; Darwin Shields; Xin Liu; Friederike C. Jentoft; Daniel E. Resasco

2013-01-01

The bonding configuration and the heat of adsorption of a furfural molecule on the Pd(111) surface were determined by ab initio density-functional-theory calculations. The dynamics of pure liquid water, the liquid-solid interface formed by liquid water and the Pd(111) surface, as well as furfural at the water-Pd interface, were investigated by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at finite temperatures. Calculations and simulations suggest that the bonding configurati...
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of laser melting of silicon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Silvestrelli, P.-L.; Alavi, A.; Parrinello, M.; Frenkel, D.

1996-01-01

The method of ab initio molecular dynamics, based on finite temperature density functional theory, is used to simulate laser heating of crystal silicon. We have found that a high concentration of excited electrons dramatically weakens the covalent bond. As a result, the system undergoes a melting
Young Modulus of Crystalline Polyethylene from ab Initio Molecular Dynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hageman, J.C.L.; Meier, Robert J.; Heinemann, M.; Groot, R.A. de

1997-01-01

The Young modulus for crystalline polyethylene is calculated using ab initio molecular dynamics based on density functional theory in the local density approximation (DFT-LDA). This modulus, which can be seen as the ultimate value for the Young modulus of polyethylene fibers, is found to be 334 GPa.
Quantum wavepacket ab initio molecular dynamics: an approach for computing dynamically averaged vibrational spectra including critical nuclear quantum effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Sumner, Isaiah; Iyengar, Srinivasan S

2007-10-18

We have introduced a computational methodology to study vibrational spectroscopy in clusters inclusive of critical nuclear quantum effects. This approach is based on the recently developed quantum wavepacket ab initio molecular dynamics method that combines quantum wavepacket dynamics with ab initio molecular dynamics. The computational efficiency of the dynamical procedure is drastically improved (by several orders of magnitude) through the utilization of wavelet-based techniques combined with the previously introduced time-dependent deterministic sampling procedure measure to achieve stable, picosecond length, quantum-classical dynamics of electrons and nuclei in clusters. The dynamical information is employed to construct a novel cumulative flux/velocity correlation function, where the wavepacket flux from the quantized particle is combined with classical nuclear velocities to obtain the vibrational density of states. The approach is demonstrated by computing the vibrational density of states of [Cl-H-Cl]-, inclusive of critical quantum nuclear effects, and our results are in good agreement with experiment. A general hierarchical procedure is also provided, based on electronic structure harmonic frequencies, classical ab initio molecular dynamics, computation of nuclear quantum-mechanical eigenstates, and employing quantum wavepacket ab initio dynamics to understand vibrational spectroscopy in hydrogen-bonded clusters that display large degrees of anharmonicities.
Field theoretic approach to dynamical orbital localization in ab initio molecular dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, Jordan W.; Iftimie, Radu; Tuckerman, Mark E.

2004-01-01

Techniques from gauge-field theory are employed to derive an alternative formulation of the Car-Parrinello ab initio molecular-dynamics method that allows maximally localized Wannier orbitals to be generated dynamically as the calculation proceeds. In particular, the Car-Parrinello Lagrangian is mapped onto an SU(n) non-Abelian gauge-field theory and the fictitious kinetic energy in the Car-Parrinello Lagrangian is modified to yield a fully gauge-invariant form. The Dirac gauge-fixing method is then employed to derive a set of equations of motion that automatically maintain orbital locality by restricting the orbitals to remain in the 'Wannier gauge'. An approximate algorithm for integrating the equations of motion that is stable and maintains orbital locality is then developed based on the exact equations of motion. It is shown in a realistic application (64 water molecules plus one hydrogen-chloride molecule in a periodic box) that orbital locality can be maintained with only a modest increase in CPU time. The ability to keep orbitals localized in an ab initio molecular-dynamics calculation is a crucial ingredient in the development of emerging linear scaling approaches
Ab initio molecular dynamics in a finite homogeneous electric field.

Science.gov (United States)

Umari, P; Pasquarello, Alfredo

2002-10-07

We treat homogeneous electric fields within density functional calculations with periodic boundary conditions. A nonlocal energy functional depending on the applied field is used within an ab initio molecular dynamics scheme. The reliability of the method is demonstrated in the case of bulk MgO for the Born effective charges, and the high- and low-frequency dielectric constants. We evaluate the static dielectric constant by performing a damped molecular dynamics in an electric field and avoiding the calculation of the dynamical matrix. Application of this method to vitreous silica shows good agreement with experiment and illustrates its potential for systems of large size.
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of hydrogen fluoride at several thermodynamic states

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kreitmeir, M.; Bertagnolli, H.; Mortensen, Jens Jørgen

2003-01-01

Liquid hydrogen fluoride is a simple but interesting system for studies of the influence of hydrogen bonds on physical properties. We have performed ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of HF at several thermodynamic states, where we examine the microscopic structure of the liquid as well...
Modeling of nuclear glasses by classical and ab initio molecular dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganster, P.

2004-01-01

A calcium aluminosilicate glass of molar composition 67 % SiO 2 - 12 % Al 2 O 3 - 21 % CaO was modelled by classical and ab initio molecular dynamics. The size effect study in classical MD shows that the systems of 100 atoms are more ordered than the larger ones. These effects are mainly due to the 3-body terms in the empirical potentials. Nevertheless, these effects are small and the structures generated are in agreement with experimental data. In such kind of glass, we denote an aluminium avoidance and an excess of non bridging oxygens which can be compensated by tri-coordinated oxygens. When the dynamics of systems of 100 and 200 atoms is followed by ab initio MD, some local arrangements occurs (bond length, angular distributions). Thus, more realistic vibrational properties are obtained in ab initio MD. The modelling of thin films shows that aluminum atoms extend to the most external part of the surface and they are all tri-coordinated. Calcium atoms are set in the sub layer part of the surface and they produce a depolymerization of the network. In classical MD, tri-coordinated aluminium atoms produce an important electric field above the surface. With non bridging oxygens, they constitute attractive sites for single water molecules. (author) [fr
Modelling of nuclear glasses by classical and ab initio molecular dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganster, P.

2004-10-01

A calcium aluminosilicate glass of molar composition 67 % SiO 2 - 12 % Al 2 O 3 - 21 % CaO was modelled by classical and ab initio molecular dynamics. The size effect study in classical MD shows that the systems of 100 atoms are more ordered than the larger ones. These effects are mainly due to the 3-body terms in the empirical potentials. Nevertheless, these effects are small and the structures generated are in agreement with experimental data. In such kind of glass, we denote an aluminium avoidance and an excess of non bridging oxygens which can be compensated by tri coordinated oxygens. When the dynamics of systems of 100 and 200 atoms is followed by ab initio MD, some local arrangements occurs (bond length, angular distributions). Thus, more realistic vibrational properties are obtained in ab initio MD. The modelling of thin films shows that aluminium atoms extend to the most external part of the surface and they are all tri-coordinated. Calcium atoms are set in the sub layer part of the surface and they produce a depolymerization of the network. In classical MD, tri-coordinated aluminium atoms produce an important electric field above the surface. With non bridging oxygens, they constitute attractive sites for single water molecules. (author)
Structural investigation of water-acetonitrile mixtures: An ab initio, molecular dynamics and X-ray diffraction study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bako, Imre; Megyes, Tuende; Palinkas, Gabor

2005-01-01

In this work, we present a study on water-acetonitrile (AN) mixtures by molecular dynamics ab initio and X-ray diffraction techniques. Comparison of the experimental total G(r) functions of the mixtures with the results of molecular dynamics simulation shows an overall good agreement. The properties of hydrogen bonded clusters (water clusters, and water-AN clusters) in these mixtures have been determined. Two different types of AN-water dimers were identified by ab initio quantum chemical calculation. One of these structures proved to be a true H-bonded dimer and the other a dipole bound dimer
Ab initio multiple cloning algorithm for quantum nonadiabatic molecular dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makhov, Dmitry V.; Shalashilin, Dmitrii V. [Department of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT (United Kingdom); Glover, William J.; Martinez, Todd J. [Department of Chemistry and The PULSE Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States)

2014-08-07

We present a new algorithm for ab initio quantum nonadiabatic molecular dynamics that combines the best features of ab initio Multiple Spawning (AIMS) and Multiconfigurational Ehrenfest (MCE) methods. In this new method, ab initio multiple cloning (AIMC), the individual trajectory basis functions (TBFs) follow Ehrenfest equations of motion (as in MCE). However, the basis set is expanded (as in AIMS) when these TBFs become sufficiently mixed, preventing prolonged evolution on an averaged potential energy surface. We refer to the expansion of the basis set as “cloning,” in analogy to the “spawning” procedure in AIMS. This synthesis of AIMS and MCE allows us to leverage the benefits of mean-field evolution during periods of strong nonadiabatic coupling while simultaneously avoiding mean-field artifacts in Ehrenfest dynamics. We explore the use of time-displaced basis sets, “trains,” as a means of expanding the basis set for little cost. We also introduce a new bra-ket averaged Taylor expansion (BAT) to approximate the necessary potential energy and nonadiabatic coupling matrix elements. The BAT approximation avoids the necessity of computing electronic structure information at intermediate points between TBFs, as is usually done in saddle-point approximations used in AIMS. The efficiency of AIMC is demonstrated on the nonradiative decay of the first excited state of ethylene. The AIMC method has been implemented within the AIMS-MOLPRO package, which was extended to include Ehrenfest basis functions.
Investigation of polarization effects in the gramicidin A channel from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Timko, Jeff; Kuyucak, Serdar

2012-11-28

Polarization is an important component of molecular interactions and is expected to play a particularly significant role in inhomogeneous environments such as pores and interfaces. Here we investigate the effects of polarization in the gramicidin A ion channel by performing quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and comparing the results with those obtained from classical MD simulations with non-polarizable force fields. We consider the dipole moments of backbone carbonyl groups and channel water molecules as well as a number of structural quantities of interest. The ab initio results show that the dipole moments of the carbonyl groups and water molecules are highly sensitive to the hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) they participate in. In the absence of a K(+) ion, water molecules in the channel are quite mobile, making the H-bond network highly dynamic. A central K(+) ion acts as an anchor for the channel waters, stabilizing the H-bond network and thereby increasing their average dipole moments. In contrast, the K(+) ion has little effect on the dipole moments of the neighboring carbonyl groups. The weakness of the ion-peptide interactions helps to explain the near diffusion-rate conductance of K(+) ions through the channel. We also address the sampling issue in relatively short ab initio MD simulations. Results obtained from a continuous 20 ps ab initio MD simulation are compared with those generated by sampling ten windows from a much longer classical MD simulation and running each window for 2 ps with ab initio MD. Both methods yield similar results for a number of quantities of interest, indicating that fluctuations are fast enough to justify the short ab initio MD simulations.
Calcium ions in aqueous solutions: Accurate force field description aided by ab initio molecular dynamics and neutron scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Martinek, Tomas; Duboué-Dijon, Elise; Timr, Štěpán; Mason, Philip E.; Baxová, Katarina; Fischer, Henry E.; Schmidt, Burkhard; Pluhařová, Eva; Jungwirth, Pavel

2018-06-01

We present a combination of force field and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations together with neutron scattering experiments with isotopic substitution that aim at characterizing ion hydration and pairing in aqueous calcium chloride and formate/acetate solutions. Benchmarking against neutron scattering data on concentrated solutions together with ion pairing free energy profiles from ab initio molecular dynamics allows us to develop an accurate calcium force field which accounts in a mean-field way for electronic polarization effects via charge rescaling. This refined calcium parameterization is directly usable for standard molecular dynamics simulations of processes involving this key biological signaling ion.
Understanding hydration of Zn(2+) in hydrothermal fluids with ab initio molecular dynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, X.; Lu, X.; Wang, R.; Meijer, E.J.

2011-01-01

With ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, the free-energy profiles of hydrated Zn2+ are calculated for both gaseous and aqueous systems from ambient to supercritical conditions, and from the derived free-energy information, the speciation of hydrated Zn2+ has been revealed. It is shown that the

Conformational Sampling by Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations Improves NMR Chemical Shift Predictions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dračínský, Martin; Möller, H. M.; Exner, T. E.

2013-01-01

Roč. 9, č. 8 (2013), s. 3806-3815 ISSN 1549-9618 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-24880S Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : ab initio molecular dynamics * NMR spectroscopy * DFT calculations * hydration Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 5.310, year: 2013
Structural, dynamical, electronic, and bonding properties of laser-heated silicon: An ab initio molecular-dynamics study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Silvestrelli, P.-L.; Alavi, A.; Parrinello, M.; Frenkel, D.

1997-01-01

The method of ab initio molecular dynamics, based on finite-temperature density-functional theory, is used to simulate laser heating of crystalline silicon. We found that a high concentration of excited electrons dramatically weakens the covalent bonding. As a result the system undergoes a melting
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of liquid water by quantum Monte Carlo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zen, Andrea; Luo, Ye; Mazzola, Guglielmo; Sorella, Sandro; Guidoni, Leonardo

2015-01-01

Although liquid water is ubiquitous in chemical reactions at roots of life and climate on the earth, the prediction of its properties by high-level ab initio molecular dynamics simulations still represents a formidable task for quantum chemistry. In this article, we present a room temperature simulation of liquid water based on the potential energy surface obtained by a many-body wave function through quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods. The simulated properties are in good agreement with recent neutron scattering and X-ray experiments, particularly concerning the position of the oxygen-oxygen peak in the radial distribution function, at variance of previous density functional theory attempts. Given the excellent performances of QMC on large scale supercomputers, this work opens new perspectives for predictive and reliable ab initio simulations of complex chemical systems
Investigation of the Hydroxylation Mechanism of Noncoupled Copper Oxygenases by Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Meliá, C.; Ferrer, S.; Řezáč, Jan; Parisel, O.; Reinaud, O.; Moliner, V.; de la Lande, A.

2013-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 51 (2013), s. 17328-17337 ISSN 0947-6539 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : ab initio calculations * copper * electron transfer * enzymes * molecular dynamics * reaction mechanisms Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 5.696, year: 2013
Ab initio molecular dynamics approach to a quantitative description of ion pairing in water

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pluhařová, Eva; Maršálek, Ondřej; Schmidt, B.; Jungwirth, Pavel

2013-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 23 (2013), s. 4177-4181 ISSN 1948-7185 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP208/12/G016 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : ion pairing * charge transfer * water * ab initio molecular dynamics Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 6.687, year: 2013
Electronic properties of liquid Hg-In alloys : Ab-initio molecular dynamics study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Nalini; Ahluwalia, P. K.; Thakur, Anil

2016-01-01

Ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study the structural properties of liquid Hg-In alloys. The interatomic interactions are described by ab-initio pseudopotentials given by Troullier and Martins. Three liquid Hg-In alloys (Hg_1_0In_9_0, Hg_3_0In_7_0_,_. Hg_5_0In_5_0, Hg_7_0In_3_0, and Hg_9_0Pb_1_0) at 299 K are considered. The calculated results for liquid Hg (l-Hg) and lead (l-In) are also drawn. Along with the calculated results of considered five liquid alloys of Hg-In alloy. The results obtained from electronic properties namely total density of state and partial density of states help to find the local arrangement of Hg and In atoms and the presence of liquid state in the considered five alloys.
Advances and applications in the FIREBALL ab initio tight-binding molecular-dynamics formalism

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lewis, J.P.; Jelínek, Pavel; Ortega, J.; Demkov, A.A.; Trabada, D.G.; Haycock, B.; Wang, H.; Adams, G.; Tomfohr, J.K.; Abad, E.; Wang, Ho.; Drabold, D.A.

2011-01-01

Roč. 248, č. 9 (2011), 1989-2007 ISSN 0370-1972 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/09/0545; GA ČR GAP204/10/0952 Grant - others:AVČR(CZ) M100100904 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : DFT * ab initio molecular-dynamics Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.316, year: 2011
Coupling of ab initio density functional theory and molecular dynamics for the multiscale modeling of carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, T Y; Yeak, S H; Liew, K M

2008-01-01

A multiscale technique is developed that couples empirical molecular dynamics (MD) and ab initio density functional theory (DFT). An overlap handshaking region between the empirical MD and ab initio DFT regions is formulated and the interaction forces between the carbon atoms are calculated based on the second-generation reactive empirical bond order potential, the long-range Lennard-Jones potential as well as the quantum-mechanical DFT derived forces. A density of point algorithm is also developed to track all interatomic distances in the system, and to activate and establish the DFT and handshaking regions. Through parallel computing, this multiscale method is used here to study the dynamic behavior of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) under asymmetrical axial compression. The detection of sideways buckling due to the asymmetrical axial compression is reported and discussed. It is noted from this study on SWCNTs that the MD results may be stiffer compared to those with electron density considerations, i.e. first-principle ab initio methods
Ab initio molecular dynamics of the reaction of quercetin with superoxide radical

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lespade, Laure

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Ab initio molecular dynamics is performed to describe the reaction of quercetin and superoxide. • The reaction occurs near the sites 4′ and 7 when the system contains sufficiently water molecules. • The difference of reactivity of superoxide compared to commonly used radicals as DPPH · or ABTS ·+ is explained. - Abstract: Superoxide plays an important role in biology but in unregulated concentrations it is implicated in a lot of diseases such as cancer or atherosclerosis. Antioxidants like flavonoids are abundant in plant and are good scavengers of superoxide radical. The modeling of superoxide scavenging by flavonoids from the diet still remains a challenge. In this study, ab initio molecular dynamics of the reaction of the flavonoid quercetin toward superoxide radical has been carried out using Car–Parrinello density functional theory. The study has proven different reactant solvation by modifying the number of water molecules surrounding superoxide. The reaction consists in the gift of a hydrogen atom of one of the hydroxyl groups of quercetin to the radical. When it occurs, it is relatively fast, lower than 100 fs. Calculations show that it depends largely on the environment of the hydroxyl group giving its hydrogen atom, the geometry of the first water layer and the presence of a certain number of water molecules in the second layer, indicating a great influence of the solvent on the reactivity.
On the room-temperature phase diagram of high pressure hydrogen: An ab initio molecular dynamics perspective and a diffusion Monte Carlo study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Ji; Ren, Xinguo; Li, Xin-Zheng; Alfè, Dario; Wang, Enge

2014-01-01

The finite-temperature phase diagram of hydrogen in the region of phase IV and its neighborhood was studied using the ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) and the ab initio path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD). The electronic structures were analyzed using the density-functional theory (DFT), the random-phase approximation, and the diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) methods. Taking the state-of-the-art DMC results as benchmark, comparisons of the energy differences between structures generated from the MD and PIMD simulations, with molecular and dissociated hydrogens, respectively, in the weak molecular layers of phase IV, indicate that standard functionals in DFT tend to underestimate the dissociation barrier of the weak molecular layers in this mixed phase. Because of this underestimation, inclusion of the quantum nuclear effects (QNEs) in PIMD using electronic structures generated with these functionals leads to artificially dissociated hydrogen layers in phase IV and an error compensation between the neglect of QNEs and the deficiencies of these functionals in standard ab initio MD simulations exists. This analysis partly rationalizes why earlier ab initio MD simulations complement so well the experimental observations. The temperature and pressure dependencies for the stability of phase IV were also studied in the end and compared with earlier results
Ab initio molecular dynamics of the reaction of quercetin with superoxide radical

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lespade, Laure, E-mail: l.lespade@ism.u-bordeaux1.fr

2016-08-22

Highlights: • Ab initio molecular dynamics is performed to describe the reaction of quercetin and superoxide. • The reaction occurs near the sites 4′ and 7 when the system contains sufficiently water molecules. • The difference of reactivity of superoxide compared to commonly used radicals as DPPH{sup ·} or ABTS{sup ·+} is explained. - Abstract: Superoxide plays an important role in biology but in unregulated concentrations it is implicated in a lot of diseases such as cancer or atherosclerosis. Antioxidants like flavonoids are abundant in plant and are good scavengers of superoxide radical. The modeling of superoxide scavenging by flavonoids from the diet still remains a challenge. In this study, ab initio molecular dynamics of the reaction of the flavonoid quercetin toward superoxide radical has been carried out using Car–Parrinello density functional theory. The study has proven different reactant solvation by modifying the number of water molecules surrounding superoxide. The reaction consists in the gift of a hydrogen atom of one of the hydroxyl groups of quercetin to the radical. When it occurs, it is relatively fast, lower than 100 fs. Calculations show that it depends largely on the environment of the hydroxyl group giving its hydrogen atom, the geometry of the first water layer and the presence of a certain number of water molecules in the second layer, indicating a great influence of the solvent on the reactivity.
Ab initio/interpolated quantum dynamics on coupled electronic states with full configuration interaction wave functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, K.; Martinez, T.J.

1999-01-01

We present a new approach to first-principles molecular dynamics that combines a general and flexible interpolation method with ab initio evaluation of the potential energy surface. This hybrid approach extends significantly the domain of applicability of ab initio molecular dynamics. Use of interpolation significantly reduces the computational effort associated with the dynamics over most of the time scale of interest, while regions where potential energy surfaces are difficult to interpolate, for example near conical intersections, are treated by direct solution of the electronic Schroedinger equation during the dynamics. We demonstrate the concept through application to the nonadiabatic dynamics of collisional electronic quenching of Li(2p). Full configuration interaction is used to describe the wave functions of the ground and excited electronic states. The hybrid approach agrees well with full ab initio multiple spawning dynamics, while being more than an order of magnitude faster. copyright 1999 American Institute of Physics
Ab initio molecular dynamics: basic concepts, current trends and novel applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuckerman, Mark E

2002-01-01

The field of ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD), in which finite temperature molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories are generated with forces obtained from accurate 'on the fly' electronic structure calculations, is a rapidly evolving and growing technology that allows chemical processes in condensed phases to be studied in an accurate and unbiased way. This article is intended to present the basics of the AIMD method as well as to provide a broad survey of the state of the art of the field and showcase some of its capabilities. Beginning with a derivation of the method from the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, issues including the density functional representation of electronic structure, basis sets, calculation of observables and the Car-Parrinello extended Lagrangian algorithm are discussed. A number of example applications, including liquid structure and dynamics and aqueous proton transport, are presented in order to highlight some of the current capabilities of the approach. Finally, advanced topics such as inclusion of nuclear quantum effects, excited states and scaling issues are addressed. (topical review)
Modelling of nuclear glasses by classical and ab initio molecular dynamics; Modelisation de verres intervenant dans le conditionnement des dechets radioactifs par dynamiques moleculaires classique et ab initio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ganster, P

2004-10-15

A calcium aluminosilicate glass of molar composition 67 % SiO{sub 2} - 12 % Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} - 21 % CaO was modelled by classical and ab initio molecular dynamics. The size effect study in classical MD shows that the systems of 100 atoms are more ordered than the larger ones. These effects are mainly due to the 3-body terms in the empirical potentials. Nevertheless, these effects are small and the structures generated are in agreement with experimental data. In such kind of glass, we denote an aluminium avoidance and an excess of non bridging oxygens which can be compensated by tri coordinated oxygens. When the dynamics of systems of 100 and 200 atoms is followed by ab initio MD, some local arrangements occurs (bond length, angular distributions). Thus, more realistic vibrational properties are obtained in ab initio MD. The modelling of thin films shows that aluminium atoms extend to the most external part of the surface and they are all tri-coordinated. Calcium atoms are set in the sub layer part of the surface and they produce a depolymerization of the network. In classical MD, tri-coordinated aluminium atoms produce an important electric field above the surface. With non bridging oxygens, they constitute attractive sites for single water molecules. (author)
Thermodynamic properties by equation of state and from Ab initio molecular dynamics of liquid potassium under pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Huaming; Tian, Yanting; Sun, Yongli; Li, Mo; Nonequilibrium materials; physics Team; Computational materials science Team

In this work, we apply a general equation of state of liquid and Ab initio molecular-dynamics method to study thermodynamic properties in liquid potassium under high pressure. Isothermal bulk modulus and molar volume of molten sodium are calculated within good precision as compared with the experimental data. The calculated internal energy data and the calculated values of isobaric heat capacity of molten potassium show the minimum along the isothermal lines as the previous result obtained in liquid sodium. The expressions for acoustical parameter and nonlinearity parameter are obtained based on thermodynamic relations from the equation of state. Both parameters for liquid potassium are calculated under high pressure along the isothermal lines by using the available thermodynamic data and numeric derivations. Furthermore, Ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations are used to calculate some thermodynamic properties of liquid potassium along the isothermal lines. Scientific Research Starting Foundation from Taiyuan university of Technology, Shanxi Provincial government (``100-talents program''), China Scholarship Council and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant No. 51602213.
Spectroscopic study of uracil, 1-methyluracil and 1-methyl-4-thiouracil: Hydrogen bond interactions in crystals and ab-initio molecular dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Brela, Mateusz Z.; Boczar, Marek; Malec, Leszek M.; Wójcik, Marek J.; Nakajima, Takahito

2018-05-01

Hydrogen bond networks in uracil, 1-methyluracil and 1-methyl-4-thiouracil were studied by ab initio molecular dynamics as well as analysis of the orbital interactions. The power spectra calculated by ab initio molecular dynamics for atoms involved in hydrogen bonds were analyzed. We calculated spectra by using anharmonic approximation based on the autocorrelation function of the atom positions obtained from the Born-Oppenheimer simulations. Our results show the differences between hydrogen bond networks in uracil and its methylated derivatives. The studied methylated derivatives, 1-methyluracil as well as 1-methyl-4-thiouracil, form dimeric structures in the crystal phase, while uracil does not form that kind of structures. The presence of sulfur atom instead oxygen atom reflects weakness of the hydrogen bonds that build dimers.
Orbital free ab initio molecular dynamics simulation study of some static and dynamic properties of liquid noble metals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G.M. Bhuiyan

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Several static and dynamic properties of liquid Cu, Ag and Au at thermodynamic states near their respective melting points, have been evaluated by means of the orbital free ab-initio molecular dynamics simulation method. The calculated static structure shows good agreement with the available X-ray and neutron diffraction data. As for the dynamic properties, the calculated dynamic structure factors point to the existence of collective density excitations along with a positive dispersion for l-Cu and l-Ag. Several transport coefficients have been obtained which show a reasonable agreement with the available experimental data.
Speed-up of ab initio hybrid Monte Carlo and ab initio path integral hybrid Monte Carlo simulations by using an auxiliary potential energy surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakayama, Akira; Taketsugu, Tetsuya; Shiga, Motoyuki

2009-01-01

Efficiency of the ab initio hybrid Monte Carlo and ab initio path integral hybrid Monte Carlo methods is enhanced by employing an auxiliary potential energy surface that is used to update the system configuration via molecular dynamics scheme. As a simple illustration of this method, a dual-level approach is introduced where potential energy gradients are evaluated by computationally less expensive ab initio electronic structure methods. (author)
Decarboxylation of furfural on Pd(111): Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Wenhua; Dang, Hongli; Shields, Darwin; Liu, Yingdi; Jentoft, Friederike; Resasco, Daniel; Wang, Sanwu

2013-03-01

Furfural conversion over metal catalysts plays an important role in the studies of biomass-derived feedstocks. We report ab initio molecular dynamics simulations for the decarboxylation process of furfural on the palladium surface at finite temperatures. We observed and analyzed the atomic-scale dynamics of furfural on the Pd(111) surface and the fluctuations of the bondlengths between the atoms in furfural. We found that the dominant bonding structure is the parallel structure in which the furfural plane, while slightly distorted, is parallel to the Pd surface. Analysis of the bondlength fluctuations indicates that the C-H bond is the aldehyde group of a furfural molecule is likely to be broken first, while the C =O bond has a tendency to be isolated as CO. Our results show that the reaction of decarbonylation dominates, consistent with the experimental measurements. Supported by DOE (DE-SC0004600). Simulations and calculations were performed on XSEDE's and NERSC's supercomputers.
Potential Energy and Free Energy Surfaces of the Formic Acid Dimer: Correlared ab initio Calculations and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Chocholoušová, Jana; Vacek, Jaroslav; Hobza, Pavel

2002-01-01

Roč. 4, - (2002), s. 2119-2122 ISSN 1463-9076 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LN00A032 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4040901 Keywords : formic acid dimer * ab initio calculations * molecular dynamics simulations Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.838, year: 2002

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of aqueous solution of nitric oxide in different formal oxidation states

Science.gov (United States)

Venâncio, Mateus F.; Rocha, Willian R.

2015-10-01

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the early chemical events involved in the dynamics of nitric oxide (NOrad), nitrosonium cation (NO+) and nitroxide anion (NO-) in aqueous solution. The NO+ ion is very reactive in aqueous solution having a lifetime of ∼4 × 10-13 s, which is shorter than the value of 3 × 10-10 s predicted experimentally. The NO+ reacts generating the nitrous acid as an intermediate and the NO2- ion as the final product. The dynamics of NOrad revealed the reversibly formation of a transient anion radical species HONOrad -.
Ab Initio Calculations of Transport in Titanium and Aluminum Mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Nicholas; Novak, Brian; Tam, Ka Ming; Moldovan, Dorel; Jarrell, Mark

In classical molecular dynamics simulations, the self-diffusion and shear viscosity of titanium about the melting point have fallen within the ranges provided by experimental data. However, the experimental data is difficult to collect and has been rather scattered, making it of limited value for the validation of these calculations. By using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations within the density functional theory framework, the classical molecular dynamics data can be validated. The dynamical data from the ab initio molecular dynamics can also be used to calculate new potentials for use in classical molecular dynamics, allowing for more accurate classical dynamics simulations for the liquid phase. For metallic materials such as titanium and aluminum alloys, these calculations are very valuable due to an increasing demand for the knowledge of their thermophysical properties that drive the development of new materials. For example, alongside knowledge of the surface tension, viscosity is an important input for modeling the additive manufacturing process at the continuum level. We are developing calculations of the viscosity along with the self-diffusion for aluminum, titanium, and titanium-aluminum alloys with ab initio molecular dynamics. Supported by the National Science Foundation through cooperative agreement OIA-1541079 and the Louisiana Board of Regents.
Carbon diffusion in molten uranium: an ab initio molecular dynamics study

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, Kerry E.; Abrecht, David G.; Kessler, Sean H.; Henson, Neil J.; Devanathan, Ram; Schwantes, Jon M.; Reilly, Dallas D.

2018-04-01

In this work we used ab initio molecular dynamics within the framework of density functional theory and the projector-augmented wave method to study carbon diffusion in liquid uranium at temperatures above 1600 K. The electronic interactions of carbon and uranium were described using the local density approximation (LDA). The self-diffusion of uranium based on this approach is compared with literature computational and experimental results for liquid uranium. The temperature dependence of carbon and uranium diffusion in the melt was evaluated by fitting the resulting diffusion coefficients to an Arrhenius relationship. We found that the LDA calculated activation energy for carbon was nearly twice that of uranium: 0.55 ± 0.03 eV for carbon compared to 0.32 ± 0.04 eV for uranium. Structural analysis of the liquid uranium-carbon system is also discussed.
Comparative classical and 'ab initio' molecular dynamics study of molten and glassy germanium dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawlitzky, M; Horbach, J; Binder, K; Ispas, S; Krack, M

2008-01-01

A molecular dynamics (MD) study of the static and dynamic properties of molten and glassy germanium dioxide is presented. The interactions between the atoms are modeled by the classical pair potential proposed by Oeffner and Elliott (OE) (1998 Phys. Rev. B 58 14791). We compare our results to experiments and previous simulations. In addition, an 'ab initio' method, the so-called Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics (CPMD), is applied to check the accuracy of the structural properties, as obtained by the classical MD simulations with the OE potential. As in a similar study for SiO 2 , the structure predicted by CPMD is only slightly softer than that resulting from the classical MD. In contrast to earlier simulations, both the static structure and dynamic properties are in very good agreement with pertinent experimental data. MD simulations with the OE potential are also used to study the relaxation dynamics. As previously found for SiO 2 , for high temperatures the dynamics of molten GeO 2 is compatible with a description in terms of mode coupling theory
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of structural transformation in zinc blende GaN under high pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, H.Y.; Gao, Fei; Zu, X.T.; Weber, W.J.

2010-01-01

High-pressure induced zinc blende to rocksalt phase transition in GaN has been investigated by ab initio molecular dynamics method to characterize the transformation mechanism at the atomic level. It was shown that at 100 GPa GaN passes through tetragonal and monoclinic states before rocksalt structure is formed. The transformation mechanism is consistent with that for other zinc blende semiconductors obtained from the same method. Detailed structural analysis showed that there is no bond breaking involved in the phase transition.
Ab Initio Molecular-Dynamics Simulation of Neuromorphic Computing in Phase-Change Memory Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Skelton, Jonathan M; Loke, Desmond; Lee, Taehoon; Elliott, Stephen R

2015-07-08

We present an in silico study of the neuromorphic-computing behavior of the prototypical phase-change material, Ge2Sb2Te5, using ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations. Stepwise changes in structural order in response to temperature pulses of varying length and duration are observed, and a good reproduction of the spike-timing-dependent plasticity observed in nanoelectronic synapses is demonstrated. Short above-melting pulses lead to instantaneous loss of structural and chemical order, followed by delayed partial recovery upon structural relaxation. We also investigate the link between structural order and electrical and optical properties. These results pave the way toward a first-principles understanding of phase-change physics beyond binary switching.
Ab initio lattice dynamics of metal surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heid, R.; Bohnen, K.-P.

2003-01-01

Dynamical properties of atoms on surfaces depend sensitively on their bonding environment and thus provide valuable insight into the local geometry and chemical binding at the boundary of a solid. Density-functional theory provides a unified approach to the calculation of structural and dynamical properties from first principles. Its high accuracy and predictive power for lattice dynamical properties of semiconductor surfaces has been demonstrated in a previous article by Fritsch and Schroeder (Phys. Rep. 309 (1999) 209). In this report, we review the state-of-the-art of these ab initio approaches to surface dynamical properties of metal surfaces. We give a brief introduction to the conceptual framework with focus on recent advances in computational procedures for the ab initio linear-response approach, which have been a prerequisite for an efficient treatment of surface dynamics of noble and transition metals. The discussed applications to clean and adsorbate-covered surfaces demonstrate the high accuracy and reliability of this approach in predicting detailed microscopic properties of the phonon dynamics for a wide range of metallic surfaces
Embedded atom approach for gold–silicon system from ab initio

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In the present paper, an empirical embedded atom method (EAM) potential for gold–silicon (Au–Si) is developed by fitting to ab initio force (the 'force matching' method) and experimental data. The force database is generated within ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD). The database includes liquid phase at various ...
Erbium(III) in aqueous solution: an ab initio molecular dynamics study.

Science.gov (United States)

Canaval, Lorenz R; Sakwarathorn, Theerathad; Rode, Bernd M; Messner, Christoph B; Lutz, Oliver M D; Bonn, Günther K

2013-12-05

Structural and dynamical properties of the erbium(III) ion in water have been obtained by means of ab initio quantum mechanical charge field molecular dynamics (QMCF-MD) simulations for the ground state and an excited state. The quality of the simulations has been monitored by recording UV/vis and Raman spectra of dilute solutions of ErCl3 and Er(NO3)3 in water and by comparison with EXAFS data from literature. Slight deviations between these data can be mainly attributed to relativistic effects, which are not sufficiently considered by the methodological framework. In both simulations, a mixture of coordination numbers eight and nine and a ligand exchange on the picosecond range are observed. The strength of the Er-ligand bond is considerably lower than that of trivalent transition metal ions but higher than that for La(III) and Ce(III) in aqueous solution. The main difference between ground state and excited state is the ligand exchange rate of the first shell. The second hydration shell is stable in both cases but with significantly different properties.
Simulations of the dissociation of small helium clusters with ab initio molecular dynamics in electronically excited states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Closser, Kristina D.; Head-Gordon, Martin; Gessner, Oliver

2014-01-01

The dynamics resulting from electronic excitations of helium clusters were explored using ab initio molecular dynamics. The simulations were performed with configuration interaction singles and adiabatic classical dynamics coupled to a state-following algorithm. 100 different configurations of He 7 were excited into the 2s and 2p manifold for a total of 2800 trajectories. While the most common outcome (90%) was complete fragmentation to 6 ground state atoms and 1 excited state atom, 3% of trajectories yielded bound, He 2 * , and <0.5% yielded an excited helium trimer. The nature of the dynamics, kinetic energy release, and connections to experiments are discussed
Haber Process Made Efficient by Hydroxylated Graphene: Ab Initio Thermochemistry and Reactive Molecular Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaban, Vitaly V; Prezhdo, Oleg V

2016-07-07

The Haber-Bosch process is the main industrial method for producing ammonia from diatomic nitrogen and hydrogen. We use a combination of ab initio thermochemical analysis and reactive molecular dynamics to demonstrate that a significant increase in the ammonia production yield can be achieved using hydroxylated graphene and related species. Exploiting the polarity difference between N2/H2 and NH3, as well as the universal proton acceptor behavior of NH3, we demonstrate a strong shift of the equilibrium of the Haber-Bosch process toward ammonia (ca. 50 kJ mol(-1) enthalpy gain and ca. 60-70 kJ mol(-1) free energy gain). The modified process is of significant importance to the chemical industry.
Specific interactions between DNA and regulatory protein controlled by ligand-binding: Ab initio molecular simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsushita, Y., E-mail: kurita@cs.tut.ac.jp; Murakawa, T., E-mail: kurita@cs.tut.ac.jp; Shimamura, K., E-mail: kurita@cs.tut.ac.jp; Oishi, M., E-mail: kurita@cs.tut.ac.jp; Ohyama, T., E-mail: kurita@cs.tut.ac.jp; Kurita, N., E-mail: kurita@cs.tut.ac.jp [Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, Aichi, 441-8580 (Japan)

2015-02-27

The catabolite activator protein (CAP) is one of the regulatory proteins controlling the transcription mechanism of gene. Biochemical experiments elucidated that the complex of CAP with cyclic AMP (cAMP) is indispensable for controlling the mechanism, while previous molecular simulations for the monomer of CAP+cAMP complex revealed the specific interactions between CAP and cAMP. However, the effect of cAMP-binding to CAP on the specific interactions between CAP and DNA is not elucidated at atomic and electronic levels. We here considered the ternary complex of CAP, cAMP and DNA in solvating water molecules and investigated the specific interactions between them at atomic and electronic levels using ab initio molecular simulations based on classical molecular dynamics and ab initio fragment molecular orbital methods. The results highlight the important amino acid residues of CAP for the interactions between CAP and cAMP and between CAP and DNA.
Specific interactions between DNA and regulatory protein controlled by ligand-binding: Ab initio molecular simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsushita, Y.; Murakawa, T.; Shimamura, K.; Oishi, M.; Ohyama, T.; Kurita, N.

2015-01-01

The catabolite activator protein (CAP) is one of the regulatory proteins controlling the transcription mechanism of gene. Biochemical experiments elucidated that the complex of CAP with cyclic AMP (cAMP) is indispensable for controlling the mechanism, while previous molecular simulations for the monomer of CAP+cAMP complex revealed the specific interactions between CAP and cAMP. However, the effect of cAMP-binding to CAP on the specific interactions between CAP and DNA is not elucidated at atomic and electronic levels. We here considered the ternary complex of CAP, cAMP and DNA in solvating water molecules and investigated the specific interactions between them at atomic and electronic levels using ab initio molecular simulations based on classical molecular dynamics and ab initio fragment molecular orbital methods. The results highlight the important amino acid residues of CAP for the interactions between CAP and cAMP and between CAP and DNA
Structural and vibrational study of 2-MethoxyEthylAmmonium Nitrate (2-OMeEAN): Interpretation of experimental results with ab initio molecular dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campetella, M.; Caminiti, R.; Bencivenni, L.; Gontrani, L.; Bovi, D.; Guidoni, L.

2016-01-01

In this work we report an analysis of the bulk phase of 2-methoxyethylammonium nitrate based on ab initio molecular dynamics. The structural and dynamical features of the ionic liquid have been characterized and the computational findings have been compared with the experimental X-ray diffraction patterns, with infrared spectroscopy data, and with the results obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. The experimental infrared spectrum was interpreted with the support of calculated vibrational density of states as well as harmonic frequency calculations of selected gas phase clusters. Particular attention was addressed to the high frequency region of the cation (ω > 2000 cm −1 ), where the vibrational motions involve the NH 3 + group responsible for hydrogen bond formation, and to the frequency range 1200-1400 cm −1 where the antisymmetric stretching mode (ν 3 ) of nitrate is found. Its multiple absorption lines in the liquid arise from the removal of the degeneracy present in the D 3h symmetry of the isolated ion. Our ab initio molecular dynamics leads to a rationalization of the frequency shifts and splittings, which are inextricably related to the structural modifications induced by a hydrogen bonding environment. The DFT calculations lead to an inhomogeneous environment.
Structural and vibrational study of 2-MethoxyEthylAmmonium Nitrate (2-OMeEAN): Interpretation of experimental results with ab initio molecular dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campetella, M.; Caminiti, R.; Bencivenni, L.; Gontrani, L., E-mail: lorenzo.gontrani@uniroma1.it [Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Roma, “La Sapienza,” P. le Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma (Italy); Bovi, D. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma, “La Sapienza,” P. le Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma (Italy); Guidoni, L. [Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche, Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, Via Vetoio, Coppito, I-67100 L’Aquila (Italy)

2016-07-14

In this work we report an analysis of the bulk phase of 2-methoxyethylammonium nitrate based on ab initio molecular dynamics. The structural and dynamical features of the ionic liquid have been characterized and the computational findings have been compared with the experimental X-ray diffraction patterns, with infrared spectroscopy data, and with the results obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. The experimental infrared spectrum was interpreted with the support of calculated vibrational density of states as well as harmonic frequency calculations of selected gas phase clusters. Particular attention was addressed to the high frequency region of the cation (ω > 2000 cm{sup −1}), where the vibrational motions involve the NH{sub 3}+ group responsible for hydrogen bond formation, and to the frequency range 1200-1400 cm{sup −1} where the antisymmetric stretching mode (ν{sub 3}) of nitrate is found. Its multiple absorption lines in the liquid arise from the removal of the degeneracy present in the D{sub 3h} symmetry of the isolated ion. Our ab initio molecular dynamics leads to a rationalization of the frequency shifts and splittings, which are inextricably related to the structural modifications induced by a hydrogen bonding environment. The DFT calculations lead to an inhomogeneous environment.
Quantifying transition voltage spectroscopy of molecular junctions: Ab initio calculations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Jingzhe; Markussen, Troels; Thygesen, Kristian Sommer

2010-01-01

Transition voltage spectroscopy (TVS) has recently been introduced as a spectroscopic tool for molecular junctions where it offers the possibility to probe molecular level energies at relatively low bias voltages. In this work we perform extensive ab initio calculations of the nonlinear current...
Dynamics of ligand exchange mechanism at Cu(II) in water: an ab initio quantum mechanical charge field molecular dynamics study with extended quantum mechanical region.

Science.gov (United States)

Moin, Syed Tarique; Hofer, Thomas S; Weiss, Alexander K H; Rode, Bernd M

2013-07-07

Ab initio quantum mechanical charge field molecular dynamics (QMCF-MD) were successfully applied to Cu(II) embedded in water to elucidate structure and to understand dynamics of ligand exchange mechanism. From the simulation studies, it was found that using an extended large quantum mechanical region including two shells of hydration is required for a better description of the dynamics of exchanging water molecules. The structural features characterized by radial distribution function, angular distribution function and other analytical parameters were consistent with experimental data. The major outcome of this study was the dynamics of exchange mechanism and reactions in the first hydration shell that could not be studied so far. The dynamical data such as mean residence time of the first shell water molecules and other relevant data from the simulations are close to the results determined experimentally. Another major characteristic of hydrated Cu(II) is the Jahn-Teller distortion which was also successfully reproduced, leading to the final conclusion that the dominating aqua complex is a 6-coordinated species. The ab initio QMCF-MD formalism proved again its capabilities of unraveling even ambiguous properties of hydrated species that are far difficult to explore by any conventional quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach or experiment.
Dynamics of ligand exchange mechanism at Cu(II) in water: An ab initio quantum mechanical charge field molecular dynamics study with extended quantum mechanical region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moin, Syed Tarique; Hofer, Thomas S.; Weiss, Alexander K. H.; Rode, Bernd M.

2013-01-01

Ab initio quantum mechanical charge field molecular dynamics (QMCF-MD) were successfully applied to Cu(II) embedded in water to elucidate structure and to understand dynamics of ligand exchange mechanism. From the simulation studies, it was found that using an extended large quantum mechanical region including two shells of hydration is required for a better description of the dynamics of exchanging water molecules. The structural features characterized by radial distribution function, angular distribution function and other analytical parameters were consistent with experimental data. The major outcome of this study was the dynamics of exchange mechanism and reactions in the first hydration shell that could not be studied so far. The dynamical data such as mean residence time of the first shell water molecules and other relevant data from the simulations are close to the results determined experimentally. Another major characteristic of hydrated Cu(II) is the Jahn-Teller distortion which was also successfully reproduced, leading to the final conclusion that the dominating aqua complex is a 6-coordinated species. The ab initio QMCF-MD formalism proved again its capabilities of unraveling even ambiguous properties of hydrated species that are far difficult to explore by any conventional quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach or experiment
Nonequilibrium Chemical Effects in Single-Molecule SERS Revealed by Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischer, Sean A.; Apra, Edoardo; Govind, Niranjan; Hess, Wayne P.; El-Khoury, Patrick Z.

2017-02-03

Recent developments in nanophotonics have paved the way for achieving significant advances in the realm of single molecule chemical detection, imaging, and dynamics. In particular, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful analytical technique that is now routinely used to identify the chemical identity of single molecules. Understanding how nanoscale physical and chemical processes affect single molecule SERS spectra and selection rules is a challenging task, and is still actively debated. Herein, we explore underappreciated chemical phenomena in ultrasensitive SERS. We observe a fluctuating excited electronic state manifold, governed by the conformational dynamics of a molecule (4,4’-dimercaptostilbene, DMS) interacting with a metallic cluster (Ag20). This affects our simulated single molecule SERS spectra; the time trajectories of a molecule interacting with its unique local environment dictates the relative intensities of the observable Raman-active vibrational states. Ab initio molecular dynamics of a model Ag20-DMS system are used to illustrate both concepts in light of recent experimental results.
Hydration structure and dynamics of a hydroxide ion in water clusters of varying size and temperature: Quantum chemical and ab initio molecular dynamics studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bankura, Arindam; Chandra, Amalendu

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A theoretical study of hydroxide ion-water clusters is carried for varying cluster size and temperature. ► The structures of OH − (H 2 O) n are found out through quantum chemical calculations for n = 4, 8, 16 and 20. ► The finite temperature behavior of the clusters is studied through ab initio dynamical simulations. ► The spectral features of OH modes (deuterated) and their dependence on hydrogen bonding states of water are discussed. ► The mechanism and kinetics of proton transfer processes in these anionic clusters are also investigated. - Abstract: We have investigated the hydration structure and dynamics of OH − (H 2 O) n clusters (n = 4, 8, 16 and 20) by means of quantum chemical and ab initio molecular dynamics calculations. Quantum chemical calculations reveal that the solvation structure of the hydroxide ion transforms from three and four-coordinated surface states to five-coordinated interior state with increase in cluster size. Several other isomeric structures with energies not very different from the most stable isomer are also found. Ab initio simulations show that the most probable configurations at higher temperatures need not be the lowest energy isomeric structure. The rates of proton transfer in these clusters are found to be slower than that in bulk water. The vibrational spectral calculations reveal distinct features for free OH (deuterated) stretch modes of water in different hydrogen bonding states. Effects of temperature on the structural and dynamical properties are also investigated for the largest cluster considered here.

Ab initio path-integral molecular dynamics and the quantum nature of hydrogen bonds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Yexin; Chen Ji; Wang Enge; Li Xin-Zheng

2016-01-01

The hydrogen bond (HB) is an important type of intermolecular interaction, which is generally weak, ubiquitous, and essential to life on earth. The small mass of hydrogen means that many properties of HBs are quantum mechanical in nature. In recent years, because of the development of computer simulation methods and computational power, the influence of nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) on the structural and energetic properties of some hydrogen bonded systems has been intensively studied. Here, we present a review of these studies by focussing on the explanation of the principles underlying the simulation methods, i.e., the ab initio path-integral molecular dynamics. Its extension in combination with the thermodynamic integration method for the calculation of free energies will also be introduced. We use two examples to show how this influence of NQEs in realistic systems is simulated in practice. (topical review)
Nonadiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics of photoisomerization reaction between 1,3-cyclohexadiene and 1,3,5-cis-hexatriene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohta, Ayumi; Kobayashi, Osamu; Danielache, Sebastian O.; Nanbu, Shinkoh

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The photoisomerization between cyclohexadiene and hexatriene was simulated. • Nonadiabatic ab initio MD simulations were employed to elucidate the mechanism. • Each excitations to S_1 and S_2 were simulated using full-dimensional model. • Specific molecular motions at CoIns and molecular vibrations on S_1 PES were found. • The one-sided product branching ratio was obtained at the photoexcitation to S_2. - Abstract: The photoisomerization process between 1,3-cyclohexadiene (CHD) and 1,3,5-cis-hexatriene (HT) has been studied by nonadiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics based on trajectory surface-hopping approach with a full-dimensional reaction model. The quantum chemical calculations were treated at MS-MR-CASPT2 level for 8 electrons in 8 orbitals with the cc-pVDZ basis set. The Zhu–Nakamura formula was employed to evaluate nonadiabatic transition probabilities. S_1 and S_2 states were included in the photoisomerization dynamics. Lifetimes and CHD:HT branching ratios were computationally estimated on the basis of statistical analysis of multiple executed trajectories. The analysis of trajectories suggested that the nonadiabatic transitions at the S_0/S_1 and S_1/S_2 conical intersections (CoIn) are correlated to the Kekulé-type vibration and the C3–C4–C5 bending motion, respectively. The one-sided branching ratio was obtained by excitations to the S_2 state; 70:30. The critical branching process was found to be dominated by the location of CoIn in potential energy hypersurface of the excited state.
Hydrogen atom injection into carbon surfaces by comparison between Monte-Carlo, molecular dynamics and ab-initio calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, A.; Kenmotsu, T.; Kikuhara, Y.; Inai, K.; Ohya, K.; Wang, Y.; Irle, S.; Morokuma, K.; Nakamura, H.

2009-01-01

Full text: To understand the plasma-wall interaction on divertor plates, we investigate the interaction of hydrogen atoms and carbon materials used in the high heat flux components by the use of the following simulations. Monte-Carlo (MC) method based on binary collision approximation can calculate the sputtering process of hydrogen atoms on the carbon material quickly. Classical molecular dynamics (MD) method employs multi-body potential models and can treat realistic structures of crystal and molecule. The ab-initio method can calculate electron energy in quantum mechanics, which is regarded as realistic potential for atoms. In the present paper, the interaction of the hydrogen and the carbon material is investigated using the multi-scale (MC, MD and ab-initio) methods. The bombardment of hydrogen atoms onto the carbon material is simulated by the ACAT-code of the MC method, which cannot represent the structure of crystal, and the MD method using modified reactive empirical bond order (REBO) potential, which treats single crystal graphite and amorphous carbon. Consequently, we clarify that the sputtering yield and the reflection rate calculated by the ACAT-code agree with those on the amorphous carbon calculated by the MD. Moreover, there are many kinds of REBO potential for the MD. Adsorption, reflection and penetration rates between a hydrogen atom and a graphene surface are calculated by the MD simulations using the two kinds of potential model. For the incident energy of less than 1 eV, the MD simulation using the modified REBO potential, which is based on Brenner's REBO potential in 2002, shows that reflection is dominant, while the most popular Brenner's REBO potential in 1990 shows that adsorption is dominant. This reflection of the low energy injection is caused by a small potential barrier for the hydrogen atom in the modified REBO potential. The small potential barrier is confirmed by the ab-initio calculations, which are hybrid DFT (B3LYP/cc-pVDZ), ab-initio
Structural properties of iron nitride on Cu(100): An ab-initio molecular dynamics study

KAUST Repository

Heryadi, Dodi

2011-01-01

Due to their potential applications in magnetic storage devices, iron nitrides have been a subject of numerous experimental and theoretical investigations. Thin films of iron nitride have been successfully grown on different substrates. To study the structural properties of a single monolayer film of FeN we have performed an ab-initio molecular dynamics simulation of its formation on a Cu(100) substrate. The iron nitride layer formed in our simulation shows a p4gm(2x2) reconstructed surface, in agreement with experimental results. In addition to its structural properties, we are also able to determine the magnetization of this thin film. Our results show that one monolayer of iron nitride on Cu(100) is ferromagnetic with a magnetic moment of 1.67 μ B. © 2011 Materials Research Society.
Dispersion and Solvation Effects on the Structure and Dynamics of N719 Adsorbed to Anatase Titania (101) Surfaces in Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids: An ab Initio Molecular Simulation Study

KAUST Repository

Byrne, Aaron; English, Niall J.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Coker, David F.

2015-01-01

Ab initio, density functional theory (DFT)-based molecular dynamics (MD) has been carried out to investigate the effect of explicit solvation on the dynamical and structural properties of a [bmim][NTf2] room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL
Virtual synthesis of crystals using ab initio MD: Case study on LiFePO4

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, S. B.; Nanda, B. R. K.

2017-05-01

Molecular dynamics simulation technique is fairly successful in studying the structural aspects and dynamics of fluids. Here we study the ability of ab initio molecular dynamics (ab initio MD) to carry out virtual experiments to synthesize new crystalline materials and to predict their structures. For this purpose the olivine phosphate LiFePO4 (LFPO) is used as an example. As transition metal oxides in general are stabilized with layered geometry, we carried out ab initio MD simulations over a hypothetical layered configuration consisting of alternate LiPO2 and FeO2 layers. With intermittent steps of electron minimization, the resulted equilibrium lattice consist of PO4 tetrahedra and distorted Fe-O complexes similar to the one observed in the experimental lattice.
Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Studies of Pb m Sb n ( m + n ≤ 9) Alloy Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Bingyi; Xu, Baoqiang; Yang, Bin; Jiang, Wenlong; Chen, Xiumin; Xu, Na; Liu, Dachun; Dai, Yongnian

2017-10-01

Structure, stability, and dynamics of Pb m Sb n ( m + n ≤ 9) clusters were investigated using ab initio molecular dynamics. Size dependence of binding energies, the second-order energy difference of clusters, dissociation energy, HOMO-LUMO gaps, Mayer bond order, and the diffusion coefficient of Pb m Sb n clusters were discussed. Results suggest that Pb3Sb2, Pb4Sb2, and Pb5Sb4 ( n = 2 or 4) clusters have higher stability than other clusters, which is consistent with previous findings. In case of Pb-Sb alloy, the dynamics results show that Pb4Sb2 (Pb-22.71 wt pct Sb) can exist in gas phase at 1073 K (800 °C), which reasonably explains the azeotropic phenomenon, and the calculated values are in agreement with the experimental results (Pb-22 wt pct Sb).
Non-adiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics of supersonic beam epitaxy of silicon carbide at room temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taioli, Simone [Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Computational Science, FBK-Center for Materials and Microsystems and University of Trento, Trento (Italy); Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Perugia (Italy); Department of Chemistry, University of Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Garberoglio, Giovanni [Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Computational Science, FBK-Center for Materials and Microsystems and University of Trento, Trento (Italy); Simonucci, Stefano [Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Computational Science, FBK-Center for Materials and Microsystems and University of Trento, Trento (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Perugia (Italy); Department of Physics, University of Camerino, Camerino (Italy); Beccara, Silvio a [Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Computational Science, FBK-Center for Materials and Microsystems and University of Trento, Trento (Italy); Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento (Italy); Aversa, Lucrezia [Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, IMEM-CNR, Trento (Italy); Nardi, Marco [Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, IMEM-CNR, Trento (Italy); Institut fuer Physik, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin (Germany); Verucchi, Roberto [Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, FBK-CNR, Trento (Italy); Iannotta, Salvatore [Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, IMEM-CNR, Parma (Italy); Dapor, Maurizio [Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Computational Science, FBK-Center for Materials and Microsystems and University of Trento, Trento (Italy); Department of Materials Engineering and Industrial Technologies, University of Trento, Trento (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Padova (Italy); and others

2013-01-28

In this work, we investigate the processes leading to the room-temperature growth of silicon carbide thin films by supersonic molecular beam epitaxy technique. We present experimental data showing that the collision of fullerene on a silicon surface induces strong chemical-physical perturbations and, for sufficient velocity, disruption of molecular bonds, and cage breaking with formation of nanostructures with different stoichiometric character. We show that in these out-of-equilibrium conditions, it is necessary to go beyond the standard implementations of density functional theory, as ab initio methods based on the Born-Oppenheimer approximation fail to capture the excited-state dynamics. In particular, we analyse the Si-C{sub 60} collision within the non-adiabatic nuclear dynamics framework, where stochastic hops occur between adiabatic surfaces calculated with time-dependent density functional theory. This theoretical description of the C{sub 60} impact on the Si surface is in good agreement with our experimental findings.
An analysis of hydrated proton diffusion in ab initio molecular dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tse, Ying-Lung Steve; Voth, Gregory A., E-mail: gavoth@uchicago.edu [Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Computation Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States); Knight, Chris [Leadership Computing Facility, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)

2015-01-07

A detailed understanding of the inherently multiscale proton transport process raises a number of scientifically challenging questions. For example, there remain many (partially addressed) questions on the molecular mechanism for long-range proton migration and the potential for the formation of long-lived traps giving rise to burst-and-rest proton dynamics. Using results from a sizeable collection of ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations (totaling ∼2.7 ns) with various density functional approximations (Becke-Lee-Yang-Parr (BLYP), BLYP–D3, Hamprecht-Cohen-Tozer-Handy, B3LYP) and temperatures (300–330 K), equilibrium and dynamical properties of one excess proton and 128 water molecules are studied. Two features in particular (concerted hops and weak hydrogen-bond donors) are investigated to identify modes in the system that are strongly correlated with the onset of periods of burst-and-rest dynamics. The question of concerted hops seeks to identify those time scales over which long-range proton transport can be classified as a series of sequential water hopping events or as a near-simultaneous concerted process along compressed water wires. The coupling of the observed burst-and-rest dynamics with motions of a fourth neighboring water molecule (a weak hydrogen-bond donor) solvating the protonated water molecule is also investigated. The presence (absence) of hydrogen bonds involving this fourth water molecule before and after successful proton hopping events is found to be strongly correlated with periods of burst (rest) dynamics (and consistent with pre-solvation concepts). By analyzing several realizations of the AIMD trajectories on the 100-ps time scale, convergence of statistics can be assessed. For instance, it was observed that the probability for a fourth water molecule to approach the hydronium, if not already proximal at the beginning of the lifetime of the hydronium, is very low, indicative of the formation of stable void regions
Structure impact on the thermal and electronic properties of bismuth telluride by ab-initio and molecular dynamics calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Termentzidis, K; Pokropivny, A; Xiong, S-Y; Chumakov, Y; Volz, S; Woda, M; Cortona, P

2012-01-01

We use molecular dynamics and ab-initio methods to predict the thermal and electronic properties of new materials with high figures of merit. The simulated systems are bulk bismuth tellurides with antisite and vacancy defects. Optimizations of the materials under investigation are performed by the SIESTA code for subsequent calculations of force constants, electronic properties, and Seebeck coefficients. The prediction of the thermal conductivity is made by Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics (NEMD) using the LAMMPS code. The thermal conductivity of bulk bismuth telluride with different stoichiometry and with a number of substitution defects is calculated. We have found that the thermal conductivity can be decreased by 60% by introducing vacancy defects. The calculated thermal conductivities for the different structures are compared with the available experimental and theoretical results.
Realization of prediction of materials properties by ab initio ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

alization of the results of ab initio molecular dynamics simulation on atom insertion process to C60 and to carbon nanotube ... micro-clusters to estimate absolute highest occupied mo- .... To analyse the observed properties theoretically,.
Ab initio valence calculations in chemistry

CERN Document Server

Cook, D B

1974-01-01

Ab Initio Valence Calculations in Chemistry describes the theory and practice of ab initio valence calculations in chemistry and applies the ideas to a specific example, linear BeH2. Topics covered include the Schrödinger equation and the orbital approximation to atomic orbitals; molecular orbital and valence bond methods; practical molecular wave functions; and molecular integrals. Open shell systems, molecular symmetry, and localized descriptions of electronic structure are also discussed. This book is comprised of 13 chapters and begins by introducing the reader to the use of the Schrödinge
Communication: Influence of external static and alternating electric fields on water from long-time non-equilibrium ab initio molecular dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Futera, Zdenek; English, Niall J.

2017-07-01

The response of water to externally applied electric fields is of central relevance in the modern world, where many extraneous electric fields are ubiquitous. Historically, the application of external fields in non-equilibrium molecular dynamics has been restricted, by and large, to relatively inexpensive, more or less sophisticated, empirical models. Here, we report long-time non-equilibrium ab initio molecular dynamics in both static and oscillating (time-dependent) external electric fields, therefore opening up a new vista in rigorous studies of electric-field effects on dynamical systems with the full arsenal of electronic-structure methods. In so doing, we apply this to liquid water with state-of-the-art non-local treatment of dispersion, and we compute a range of field effects on structural and dynamical properties, such as diffusivities and hydrogen-bond kinetics.
Static structure, microscopic dynamics and electronic properties of the liquid Bi–Li alloy. An ab initio molecular dynamics study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souto, J; Alemany, M M G; Gallego, L J; González, L E; González, D J

2013-01-01

We report an ab initio molecular dynamics study of the static, dynamic and electronic properties of the liquid Bi x Li 1−x alloy, which is a complex binary system with a marked tendency to heterocoordination. The calculated total static structure factors are in good agreement with the available experimental data. The partial dynamic structure factors exhibit side peaks indicative of propagating density fluctuations, and for some concentrations we have found a density fluctuation mode with phase velocity greater than the hydrodynamic sound velocity. We have also evaluated other dynamical properties such as the diffusion coefficients, the shear viscosity and the adiabatic sound velocity. The electronic density of states show that the liquid Bi x Li 1−x alloy has a metallic character, although with strong deviations from the free-electron parabolic curve. The results reported improve the understanding of binary liquid alloys with both fast and slow propagating collective modes. (paper)
Towards hydrogen metallization: an Ab initio approach; Vers la metallisation de l`hydrogene: approche AB initio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, St

1998-12-31

The quest for metallic hydrogen is a major goal for both theoretical and experimental condensed matter physics. Hydrogen and deuterium have been compressed up to 200 GPa in diamond anvil cells, without any clear evidence for a metallic behaviour. Loubeyere has recently suggested that hydrogen could metallize, at pressures within experimental range, in a new Van der Waals compound: Ar(H{sub 2}){sub 2} which is characterized at ambient pressure by an open and anisotropic sublattice of hydrogen molecules, stabilized by an argon skeleton. This thesis deals with a detailed ab initio investigation, by Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics methods, of the evolution under pressure of this compound. In a last chapter, we go to much higher pressures and temperatures, in order to compare orbital and orbital free ab initio methods for the dense hydrogen plasma. (author) 109 refs.
Towards hydrogen metallization: an Ab initio approach; Vers la metallisation de l`hydrogene: approche AB initio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, St

1999-12-31

The quest for metallic hydrogen is a major goal for both theoretical and experimental condensed matter physics. Hydrogen and deuterium have been compressed up to 200 GPa in diamond anvil cells, without any clear evidence for a metallic behaviour. Loubeyere has recently suggested that hydrogen could metallize, at pressures within experimental range, in a new Van der Waals compound: Ar(H{sub 2}){sub 2} which is characterized at ambient pressure by an open and anisotropic sublattice of hydrogen molecules, stabilized by an argon skeleton. This thesis deals with a detailed ab initio investigation, by Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics methods, of the evolution under pressure of this compound. In a last chapter, we go to much higher pressures and temperatures, in order to compare orbital and orbital free ab initio methods for the dense hydrogen plasma. (author) 109 refs.
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of low energy recoil events in MgO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petersen, B. A.; Liu, B.; Weber, W. J.; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Zhang, Y.; Oak Ridge National Laboratory

2017-01-01

In this paper, low-energy recoil events in MgO are studied using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to reveal the dynamic displacement processes and final defect configurations. Threshold displacement energies, E_d, are obtained for Mg and O along three low-index crystallographic directions, [100], [110], and [111]. The minimum values for E_d are found along the [110] direction consisting of the same element, either Mg or O atoms. Minimum threshold values of 29.5 eV for Mg and 25.5 eV for O, respectively, are suggested from the calculations. For other directions, the threshold energies are considerably higher, 65.5 and 150.0 eV for O along [111] and [100], and 122.5 eV for Mg along both [111] and [100] directions, respectively. These results show that the recoil events in MgO are partial-charge transfer assisted processes where the charge transfer plays an important role. Finally, there is a similar trend found in other oxide materials, where the threshold displacement energy correlates linearly with the peak partial-charge transfer, suggesting this behavior might be universal in ceramic oxides.
GAUSSIAN 76: an ab initio molecular orbital program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binkley, J.S.; Whiteside, R.; Hariharan, P.C.; Seeger, R.; Hehre, W.J.; Lathan, W.A.; Newton, M.D.; Ditchfield, R.; Pople, J.A.

Gaussian 76 is a general-purpose computer program for ab initio Hartree-Fock molecular orbital calculations. It can handle basis sets involving s, p and d-type gaussian functions. Certain standard sets (STO-3G, 4-31G, 6-31G*, etc.) are stored internally for easy use. Closed shell (RHF) or unrestricted open shell (UHF) wave functions can be obtained. Facilities are provided for geometry optimization to potential minima and for limited potential surface scans
Investigation of the binding mode of a novel cruzain inhibitor by docking, molecular dynamics, ab initio and MM/PBSA calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Luan Carvalho; Torres, Pedro Henrique Monteiro; de Oliveira, Renata Barbosa; Pascutti, Pedro Geraldo; Cino, Elio A.; Ferreira, Rafaela Salgado

2018-05-01

Chagas disease remains a major health problem in South America, and throughout the world. The two drugs clinically available for its treatment have limited efficacy and cause serious adverse effects. Cruzain is an established therapeutic target of Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan that causes Chagas disease. Our group recently identified a competitive cruzain inhibitor (compound 1) with an IC50 = 15 µM that is also more synthetically accessible than the previously reported lead, compound 2. Prior studies, however, did not propose a binding mode for compound 1, hindering understanding of the structure-activity relationship and optimization. Here, the cruzain binding mode of compound 1 was investigated using docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with ab initio derived parameters, ab initio calculations, and MM/PBSA. Two ligand protonation states and four binding poses were evaluated. A careful ligand parameterization method was employed to derive more physically meaningful parameters than those obtained by automated tools. The poses of unprotonated 1 were unstable in MD, showing large conformational changes and diffusing away from the binding site, whereas the protonated form showed higher stability and interaction with negatively charged residues Asp161 and Cys25. MM/PBSA also suggested that these two residues contribute favorably to binding of compound 1. By combining results from MD, ab initio calculations, and MM/PBSA, a binding mode of 1 is proposed. The results also provide insights for further optimization of 1, an interesting lead compound for the development of new cruzain inhibitors.
Ab initio molecular dynamics, iterative methods and multiscale approaches in electronic structure calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernholc, J.

1998-01-01

The field of computational materials physics has grown very quickly in the past decade, and it is now possible to simulate properties of complex materials completely from first principles. The presentation has mostly focused on first-principles dynamic simulations. Such simulations have been pioneered by Car and Parrinello, who introduced a method for performing realistic simulations within the context of density functional theory. The Car-Parrinello method and related plane wave approaches are reviewed in depth. The Car-Parrinello method was reviewed and illustrated with several applications: the dynamics of the C 60 solid, diffusion across Si steps, and computing free energy differences. Alternative ab initio simulation schemes, which use preconditioned conjugate gradient techniques for energy minimization and dynamics were also discussed

Towards hydrogen metallization: an Ab initio approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard, St.

1998-01-01

The quest for metallic hydrogen is a major goal for both theoretical and experimental condensed matter physics. Hydrogen and deuterium have been compressed up to 200 GPa in diamond anvil cells, without any clear evidence for a metallic behaviour. Loubeyere has recently suggested that hydrogen could metallize, at pressures within experimental range, in a new Van der Waals compound: Ar(H 2 ) 2 which is characterized at ambient pressure by an open and anisotropic sublattice of hydrogen molecules, stabilized by an argon skeleton. This thesis deals with a detailed ab initio investigation, by Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics methods, of the evolution under pressure of this compound. In a last chapter, we go to much higher pressures and temperatures, in order to compare orbital and orbital free ab initio methods for the dense hydrogen plasma. (author)
Elastic properties of amorphous boron suboxide based solids studied using ab initio molecular dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Music, Denis; Schneider, Jochen M

2008-01-01

We have studied the correlation between chemical composition, structure, chemical bonding and elastic properties of amorphous B 6 O based solids using ab initio molecular dynamics. These solids are of different chemical compositions, but the elasticity data appear to be a function of density. This is in agreement with previous experimental observations. As the density increases from 1.64 to 2.38 g cm -3 , the elastic modulus increases from 74 to 253 GPa. This may be understood by analyzing the cohesive energy and the chemical bonding of these compounds. The cohesive energy decreases from -7.051 to -7.584 eV/atom in the elastic modulus range studied. On the basis of the electron density distributions, Mulliken analysis and radial distribution functions, icosahedral bonding is the dominating bonding type. C and N promote cross-linking of icosahedra and thus increase the density, while H hinders the cross-linking by forming OH groups. The presence of icosahedral bonding is independent of the density
Supplementary Material for Finding the Stable Structures of N1-xWX with an Ab-initio High-Throughput Approach

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-08

Supplementary material for “Finding the stable structures of N1−xWX with an ab - initio high-throughput approach” Michael J. Mehl∗ Center for...AND SUBTITLE Supplementary Material for ’Finding the Stable Structures of N1-xWX with an ab - initio High-throughput Approach’ 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b...and J. Hafner, Ab initio molecular dynamics for open-shell transition metals, Phys. Rev. B 48, 13115–13118 (1993). 2 G. Kresse and J. Hafner, Ab initio
Surface Solvation of Halogen Anions in Water Clusters: An ab initio Molecular Dynamics Study of the Cl-(H.sub.2./sub.O).sub.6./sub. Complex

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tobias, D. J.; Jungwirth, Pavel; Parrinello, M.

2001-01-01

Roč. 114, č. 16 (2001), s. 7036-7044 ISSN 0021-9606 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LN00A032 Grant - others:NATO Science Program(XE) CLG-974459 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4040901 Keywords : cluster * ab initio molecular dynamics * anionic solvation Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 3.147, year: 2001
A direct ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) study on the benzophenone-water 1 : 1 complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Tachikawa, Hiroto; Iyama, Tetsuji; Kato, Kohichi

2009-07-28

Direct ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) method has been applied to a benzophenone-water 1 : 1 complex Bp(H(2)O) and free benzophenone (Bp) to elucidate the effects of zero-point energy (ZPE) vibration and temperature on the absorption spectra of Bp(H(2)O). The n-pi transition of free-Bp (S(1) state) was blue-shifted by the interaction with a water molecule, whereas three pi-pi transitions (S(2), S(3) and S(4)) were red-shifted. The effects of the ZPE vibration and temperature of Bp(H(2)O) increased the intensity of the n-pi transition of Bp(H(2)O) and caused broadening of the pi-pi transitions. In case of the temperature effect, the intensity of n-pi transition increases with increasing temperature. The electronic states of Bp(H(2)O) were discussed on the basis of the theoretical results.
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations for the role of hydrogen in catalytic reactions of furfural on Pd(111)

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Wenhua; Dang, Hongli; Liu, Yingdi; Jentoft, Friederike; Resasco, Daniel; Wang, Sanwu

2014-03-01

In the study of catalytic reactions of biomass, furfural conversion over metal catalysts with the presence of hydrogen has attracted wide attention. We report ab initio molecular dynamics simulations for furfural and hydrogen on the Pd(111) surface at finite temperatures. The simulations demonstrate that the presence of hydrogen is important in promoting furfural conversion. In particular, hydrogen molecules dissociate rapidly on the Pd(111) surface. As a result of such dissociation, atomic hydrogen participates in the reactions with furfural. The simulations also provide detailed information about the possible reactions of hydrogen with furfural. Supported by DOE (DE-SC0004600). This research used the supercomputer resources of the XSEDE, the NERSC Center, and the Tandy Supercomputing Center.
Hydration structures of U(III) and U(IV) ions from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leung, Kevin; Nenoff, Tina M.

2012-01-01

We apply DFT+U-based ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to study the hydration structures of U(III) and U(IV) ions, pertinent to redox reactions associated with uranium salts in aqueous media. U(III) is predicted to be coordinated to 8 water molecules, while U(IV) has a hydration number between 7 and 8. At least one of the innershell water molecules of the hydrated U(IV) complex becomes spontaneously deprotonated. As a result, the U(IV)–O pair correlation function exhibits a satellite peak at 2.15 Å associated with the shorter U(IV)–(OH − ) bond. This feature is not accounted for in analysis of extended x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray adsorption near edge structure measurements, which yield higher estimates of U(IV) hydration numbers. This suggests that it may be useful to include the effect of possible hydrolysis in future interpretation of experiments, especially when the experimental pH is close to the reported hydrolysis equilibrium constant value.
Exploring the speed and performance of molecular replacement with AMPLE using QUARK ab initio protein models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keegan, Ronan M. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0FA (United Kingdom); Bibby, Jaclyn; Thomas, Jens [University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB (United Kingdom); Xu, Dong [Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 (United States); Zhang, Yang [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Mayans, Olga [University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB (United Kingdom); Winn, Martyn D. [Science and Technology Facilities Council Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Rigden, Daniel J., E-mail: drigden@liv.ac.uk [University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB (United Kingdom); STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0FA (United Kingdom)

2015-02-01

Two ab initio modelling programs solve complementary sets of targets, enhancing the success of AMPLE with small proteins. AMPLE clusters and truncates ab initio protein structure predictions, producing search models for molecular replacement. Here, an interesting degree of complementarity is shown between targets solved using the different ab initio modelling programs QUARK and ROSETTA. Search models derived from either program collectively solve almost all of the all-helical targets in the test set. Initial solutions produced by Phaser after only 5 min perform surprisingly well, improving the prospects for in situ structure solution by AMPLE during synchrotron visits. Taken together, the results show the potential for AMPLE to run more quickly and successfully solve more targets than previously suspected.
Resolving the HONO formation mechanism in the ionosphere via ab initio molecular dynamic simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Rongxing; Li, Lei; Zhong, Jie; Zhu, Chongqin; Francisco, Joseph S; Zeng, Xiao Cheng

2016-04-26

Solar emission produces copious nitrosonium ions (NO(+)) in the D layer of the ionosphere, 60 to 90 km above the Earth's surface. NO(+) is believed to transfer its charge to water clusters in that region, leading to the formation of gaseous nitrous acid (HONO) and protonated water cluster. The dynamics of this reaction at the ionospheric temperature (200-220 K) and the associated mechanistic details are largely unknown. Using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and transition-state search, key structures of the water hydrates-tetrahydrate NO(+)(H2O)4 and pentahydrate NO(+)(H2O)5-are identified and shown to be responsible for HONO formation in the ionosphere. The critical tetrahydrate NO(+)(H2O)4 exhibits a chain-like structure through which all of the lowest-energy isomers must go. However, most lowest-energy isomers of pentahydrate NO(+)(H2O)5 can be converted to the HONO-containing product, encountering very low barriers, via a chain-like or a three-armed, star-like structure. Although these structures are not the global minima, at 220 K, most lowest-energy NO(+)(H2O)4 and NO(+)(H2O)5 isomers tend to channel through these highly populated isomers toward HONO formation.
Vibrational lifetimes of hydrogen on lead films: An ab initio molecular dynamics with electronic friction (AIMDEF) study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saalfrank, Peter [Institut für Chemie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, D-14476 Potsdam (Germany); Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain); Juaristi, J. I. [Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain); Centro de Física de Materiales CFM/MPC (CSIC-UPV/EHU), Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain); Departamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Químicas UPV/EHU, Apartado 1072, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain); Alducin, M.; Muiño, R. Díez [Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain); Centro de Física de Materiales CFM/MPC (CSIC-UPV/EHU), Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain); Blanco-Rey, M. [Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain); Departamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Químicas UPV/EHU, Apartado 1072, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain)

2014-12-21

Using density functional theory and Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics with Electronic Friction (AIMDEF), we study the adsorption and dissipative vibrational dynamics of hydrogen atoms chemisorbed on free-standing lead films of increasing thickness. Lead films are known for their oscillatory behaviour of certain properties with increasing thickness, e.g., energy and electron spillout change in discontinuous manner, due to quantum size effects [G. Materzanini, P. Saalfrank, and P. J. D. Lindan, Phys. Rev. B 63, 235405 (2001)]. Here, we demonstrate that oscillatory features arise also for hydrogen when chemisorbed on lead films. Besides stationary properties of the adsorbate, we concentrate on finite vibrational lifetimes of H-surface vibrations. As shown by AIMDEF, the damping via vibration-electron hole pair coupling dominates clearly over the vibration-phonon channel, in particular for high-frequency modes. Vibrational relaxation times are a characteristic function of layer thickness due to the oscillating behaviour of the embedding surface electronic density. Implications derived from AIMDEF for frictional many-atom dynamics, and physisorbed species will also be given.
A Review of Solid-Solution Models of High-Entropy Alloys Based on Ab Initio Calculations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fuyang Tian

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Similar to the importance of XRD in experiments, ab initio calculations, as a powerful tool, have been applied to predict the new potential materials and investigate the intrinsic properties of materials in theory. As a typical solid-solution material, the large degree of uncertainty of high-entropy alloys (HEAs results in the difficulty of ab initio calculations application to HEAs. The present review focuses on the available ab initio based solid-solution models (virtual lattice approximation, coherent potential approximation, special quasirandom structure, similar local atomic environment, maximum-entropy method, and hybrid Monte Carlo/molecular dynamics and their applications and limits in single phase HEAs.
Hydrated Electron Transfer to Nucleobases in Aqueous Solutions Revealed by Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jing; Wang, Mei; Fu, Aiyun; Yang, Hongfang; Bu, Yuxiang

2015-08-03

We present an ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulation study into the transfer dynamics of an excess electron from its cavity-shaped hydrated electron state to a hydrated nucleobase (NB)-bound state. In contrast to the traditional view that electron localization at NBs (G/A/C/T), which is the first step for electron-induced DNA damage, is related only to dry or prehydrated electrons, and a fully hydrated electron no longer transfers to NBs, our AIMD simulations indicate that a fully hydrated electron can still transfer to NBs. We monitored the transfer dynamics of fully hydrated electrons towards hydrated NBs in aqueous solutions by using AIMD simulations and found that due to solution-structure fluctuation and attraction of NBs, a fully hydrated electron can transfer to a NB gradually over time. Concurrently, the hydrated electron cavity gradually reorganizes, distorts, and even breaks. The transfer could be completed in about 120-200 fs in four aqueous NB solutions, depending on the electron-binding ability of hydrated NBs and the structural fluctuation of the solution. The transferring electron resides in the π*-type lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the NB, which leads to a hydrated NB anion. Clearly, the observed transfer of hydrated electrons can be attributed to the strong electron-binding ability of hydrated NBs over the hydrated electron cavity, which is the driving force, and the transfer dynamics is structure-fluctuation controlled. This work provides new insights into the evolution dynamics of hydrated electrons and provides some helpful information for understanding the DNA-damage mechanism in solution. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Ab initio molecular dynamics study of the properties of cerium in liquid sodium at 1000 K temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samin, Adib; Li, Xiang; Zhang, Jinsuo [Nuclear Engineering Program, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, 201 W 19th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210 (United States); Mariani, R. D. [Idaho National Laboratory, Materials and Fuels Complex, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415 (United States); Unal, Cetin [Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

2015-12-21

For liquid-sodium-cooled fast nuclear reactor systems, it is crucial to understand the behavior of lanthanides and other potential fission products in liquid sodium or other liquid metal solutions such as liquid cesium-sodium. In this study, we focus on lanthanide behavior in liquid sodium. Using ab initio molecular dynamics, we found that the solubility of cerium in liquid sodium at 1000 K was less than 0.78 at. %, and the diffusion coefficient of cerium in liquid sodium was calculated to be 5.57 × 10{sup −9} m{sup 2}/s. Furthermore, it was found that cerium in small amounts may significantly alter the heat capacity of the liquid sodium system. Our results are consistent with the experimental results for similar materials under similar conditions.
Initial Chemical Events in CL-20 Under Extreme Conditions: An Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Study

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Isaev, Olexandr; Kholod, Yana; Gorb, Leonid; Qasim, Mohammad; Fredrickson, Herb; Leszczynski, Jerzy

2006-01-01

.... In the present study molecular structure, electrostatic potential, vibrational spectrum and dynamics of thermal decomposition of CL-20 have been investigated by static and dynamic methods of ab...
Formation Dynamics of Potassium-Based Graphite Intercalation Compounds: An Ab Initio Study

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xiankai; Song, Bo; Tománek, David

2018-04-01

This paper is a contribution to the Physical Review Applied collection in memory of Mildred S. Dresselhaus. We use ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to study the microscopic dynamics of potassium intercalation in graphite. Upon adsorbing on graphite from the vapor phase, K atoms transfer their valence charge to the substrate. K atoms adsorbed on the surface diffuse rapidly along the graphene basal plane and eventually enter the interlayer region following a "U -turn" across the edge, gaining additional energy. This process is promoted at higher coverages associated with higher K pressure, leading to the formation of a stable intercalation compound. We find that the functionalization of graphene edges is an essential prerequisite for intercalation since bare edges reconstruct and reconnect, closing off the entry channels for the atoms.
Origin of the reverse optical-contrast change of Ga-Sb phase-change materials—An ab initio molecular-dynamics study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dixon, J. A.; Elliott, S. R., E-mail: sre1@cam.ac.uk [Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW (United Kingdom)

2014-04-07

A large number of phase-change materials (PCMs) have been developed experimentally; however, only Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}-based PCMs have been significantly explored using ab initio molecular-dynamics (AIMD) simulations. We present an AIMD study of the full melt/quench/anneal PC cycle for Ga-Sb materials, namely, the stoichiometric composition, GaSb, and the near-eutectic alloy, Ga{sub 16}Sb{sub 84}. The calculated electronic densities of states and optical reflectivities are compared between the amorphous and crystalline phases for both compositions, and it is shown that the contrasting opto-electronic properties of each crystalline material can be attributed to different structural transformations of Ga and Sb on crystallization from the amorphous state.
Meteorite Impact-Induced Rapid NH3 Production on Early Earth: Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Shimamura, Kohei; Shimojo, Fuyuki; Nakano, Aiichiro; Tanaka, Shigenori

2016-12-01

NH3 is an essential molecule as a nitrogen source for prebiotic amino acid syntheses such as the Strecker reaction. Previous shock experiments demonstrated that meteorite impacts on ancient oceans would have provided a considerable amount of NH3 from atmospheric N2 and oceanic H2O through reduction by meteoritic iron. However, specific production mechanisms remain unclear, and impact velocities employed in the experiments were substantially lower than typical impact velocities of meteorites on the early Earth. Here, to investigate the issues from the atomistic viewpoint, we performed multi-scale shock technique-based ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The results revealed a rapid production of NH3 within several picoseconds after the shock, indicating that shocks with greater impact velocities would provide further increase in the yield of NH3. Meanwhile, the picosecond-order production makes one expect that the important nitrogen source precursors of amino acids were obtained immediately after the impact. It was also observed that the reduction of N2 proceeded according to an associative mechanism, rather than a dissociative mechanism as in the Haber-Bosch process.
Ab initio pseudopotential theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, M.T.; Cohen, M.L.

1982-01-01

The ab initio norm-conserving pseudopotential is generated from a reference atomic configuration in which the pseudoatomic eigenvalues and wave functions outside the core region agree with the corresponding ab initio all-electron results within the density-functional formalism. This paper explains why such pseudopotentials accurately reproduce the all-electron results in both atoms and in multiatomic systems. In particular, a theorem is derived to demonstrate the energy- and perturbation-independent properties of ab initio pseudopotentials
Cooperative effects in the structuring of fluoride water clusters: Ab initio hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical model incorporating polarizable fluctuating charge solvent

Science.gov (United States)

Bryce, Richard A.; Vincent, Mark A.; Malcolm, Nathaniel O. J.; Hillier, Ian H.; Burton, Neil A.

1998-08-01

A new hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical model of solvation is developed and used to describe the structure and dynamics of small fluoride/water clusters, using an ab initio wave function to model the ion and a fluctuating charge potential to model the waters. Appropriate parameters for the water-water and fluoride-water interactions are derived, with the fluoride anion being described by density functional theory and a large Gaussian basis. The role of solvent polarization in determining the structure and energetics of F(H2O)4- clusters is investigated, predicting a slightly greater stability of the interior compared to the surface structure, in agreement with ab initio studies. An extended Lagrangian treatment of the polarizable water, in which the water atomic charges fluctuate dynamically, is used to study the dynamics of F(H2O)4- cluster. A simulation using a fixed solvent charge distribution indicates principally interior, solvated states for the cluster. However, a preponderance of trisolvated configurations is observed using the polarizable model at 300 K, which involves only three direct fluoride-water hydrogen bonds. Ab initio calculations confirm this trisolvated species as a thermally accessible state at room temperature, in addition to the tetrasolvated interior and surface structures. Extension of this polarizable water model to fluoride clusters with five and six waters gave less satisfactory agreement with experimental energies and with ab initio geometries. However, our results do suggest that a quantitative model of solvent polarization is fundamental for an accurate understanding of the properties of anionic water clusters.
Mechanistic Insights into Radical-Mediated Oxidation of Tryptophan from ab Initio Quantum Chemistry Calculations and QM/MM Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Geoffrey P F; Sreedhara, Alavattam; Moore, Jamie M; Wang, John; Trout, Bernhardt L

2016-05-12

An assessment of the mechanisms of (•)OH and (•)OOH radical-mediated oxidation of tryptophan was performed using density functional theory calculations and ab initio plane-wave Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) molecular dynamics simulations. For the (•)OH reactions, addition to the pyrrole ring at position 2 is the most favored site with a barrierless reaction in the gas phase. The subsequent degradation of this adduct through a H atom transfer to water was intermittently observed in aqueous-phase molecular dynamics simulations. For the (•)OOH reactions, addition to the pyrrole ring at position 2 is the most favored pathway, in contrast to the situation in the model system ethylene, where concerted addition to the double bond is preferred. From the (•)OOH position 2 adduct QM/MM simulations show that formation of oxy-3-indolanaline occurs readily in an aqueous environment. The observed transformation starts from an initial rupture of the O-O bond followed by a H atom transfer with the accompanying loss of an (•)OH radical to solution. Finally, classical molecular dynamics simulations were performed to equate observed differential oxidation rates of various tryptophan residues in monoclonal antibody fragments. It was found that simple parameters derived from simulation correlate well with the experimental data.

Efficient "on-the-fly" calculation of Raman spectra from ab-initio molecular dynamics: Application to hydrophobic/hydrophilic solutes in bulk water.

Science.gov (United States)

Partovi-Azar, Pouya; Kühne, Thomas D

2015-11-05

We present a novel computational method to accurately calculate Raman spectra from first principles. Together with an extension of the second-generation Car-Parrinello method of Kühne et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 2007, 98, 066401) to propagate maximally localized Wannier functions together with the nuclei, a speed-up of one order of magnitude can be observed. This scheme thus allows to routinely calculate finite-temperature Raman spectra "on-the-fly" by means of ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations. To demonstrate the predictive power of this approach we investigate the effect of hydrophobic and hydrophilic solutes in water solution on the infrared and Raman spectra. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics and Lattice Dynamics-Based Force Field for Modeling Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Mechanical and Interfacial Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Govind Rajan, Ananth; Strano, Michael S; Blankschtein, Daniel

2018-04-05

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is an up-and-coming two-dimensional material, with applications in electronic devices, tribology, and separation membranes. Herein, we utilize density-functional-theory-based ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and lattice dynamics calculations to develop a classical force field (FF) for modeling hBN. The FF predicts the crystal structure, elastic constants, and phonon dispersion relation of hBN with good accuracy and exhibits remarkable agreement with the interlayer binding energy predicted by random phase approximation calculations. We demonstrate the importance of including Coulombic interactions but excluding 1-4 intrasheet interactions to obtain the correct phonon dispersion relation. We find that improper dihedrals do not modify the bulk mechanical properties and the extent of thermal vibrations in hBN, although they impact its flexural rigidity. Combining the FF with the accurate TIP4P/Ice water model yields excellent agreement with interaction energies predicted by quantum Monte Carlo calculations. Our FF should enable an accurate description of hBN interfaces in classical MD simulations.
Ab initio study of isomerism in molecular ions Li2AB+ with 10 valence electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charkin, O.P.; Mak-Ki, M.L.; Shlojer, P.R.

1997-01-01

Ab initio calculations of surfaces of Li 2 AB + molecular ion potential energy with biatomic anions AB - with 10 valence electrons have been made in the framework of approximations MP2/6-31G 1 /HF/6-31G*+ZPE(HF/6-31G*) and MP4SDTQ/631G*//MP2/6-31G*+ZPE(MP2/6-31G*). Influence of electron correlation on the accuracy of calculations of their structural and vibrational characteristics is studied. The following most favourable structures have been found: linear for Li 2 BO + , Li 2 CN + , and bent one for Li 2 BS + , with cations coordinated at different anion atoms; onium one for AlOLi 2 + , AlSLi 2 + , SiNLi 2 + and SiPLi 2 + with both cations at electronegative atom of anion
An ab-initio study of mechanical, dynamical and electronic properties of MgEu intermetallic

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, S. Ramesh; Jaiganesh, G.; Jayalakshmi, V.

2018-04-01

The theoretical investigation on the mechanical, dynamical and electronic properties of MgEu in CsCl-type structure has been carried out through the ab-initio calculations within the framework of the density functional theory and the density functional perturbation theory. For the purpose, Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package and Phonopy packages were used. Our calculated ground-state properties of MgEu are in good agreement with other available results. Our computed elastic constants and phonon spectrum results suggest that MgEu is mechanically and dynamically stable up to 5 GPa. The thermodynamic quantities as a function of temperatures are also reported and discussed. The band structure, density of states and charge density also calculated to understand the electronic properties of MgEu.
Ab Initio Liquid Water Dynamics in Aqueous TMAO Solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Usui, Kota; Hunger, Johannes; Sulpizi, Marialore; Ohto, Tatsuhiko; Bonn, Mischa; Nagata, Yuki

2015-08-20

Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations in trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)-D2O solution are employed to elucidate the effects of TMAO on the reorientational dynamics of D2O molecules. By decomposing the O-D groups of the D2O molecules into specific subensembles, we reveal that water reorientational dynamics are retarded considerably in the vicinity of the hydrophilic TMAO oxygen (O(TMAO)) atom, due to the O-D···O(TMAO) hydrogen-bond. We find that this reorientational motion is governed by two distinct mechanisms: The O-D group rotates (1) after breaking the O-D···O(TMAO) hydrogen-bond, or (2) together with the TMAO molecule while keeping this hydrogen-bond intact. While the orientational slow-down is prominent in the AIMD simulation, simulations based on force field models exhibit much faster dynamics. The simulated angle-resolved radial distribution functions illustrate that the O-D···O(TMAO) hydrogen-bond has a strong directionality through the sp(3) orbital configuration in the AIMD simulation, and this directionality is not properly accounted for in the force field simulation. These results imply that care must be taken when modeling negatively charged oxygen atoms as single point charges; force field models may not adequately describe the hydration configuration and dynamics.
Limitations of Ab Initio Predictions of Peptide Binding to MHC Class II Molecules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Hao; Lund, Ole; Nielsen, Morten

2010-01-01

potentials derived from the analysis of known protein structures; energetic evaluation of different peptide snapshots in a molecular dynamics simulation; and direct analysis of contacts made in known 3D structures of peptide:MHC complexes. These methods are ab initio in that they require structural data...
Ab initio molecular crystal structures, spectra, and phase diagrams.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirata, So; Gilliard, Kandis; He, Xiao; Li, Jinjin; Sode, Olaseni

2014-09-16

Conspectus Molecular crystals are chemists' solids in the sense that their structures and properties can be understood in terms of those of the constituent molecules merely perturbed by a crystalline environment. They form a large and important class of solids including ices of atmospheric species, drugs, explosives, and even some organic optoelectronic materials and supramolecular assemblies. Recently, surprisingly simple yet extremely efficient, versatile, easily implemented, and systematically accurate electronic structure methods for molecular crystals have been developed. The methods, collectively referred to as the embedded-fragment scheme, divide a crystal into monomers and overlapping dimers and apply modern molecular electronic structure methods and software to these fragments of the crystal that are embedded in a self-consistently determined crystalline electrostatic field. They enable facile applications of accurate but otherwise prohibitively expensive ab initio molecular orbital theories such as Møller-Plesset perturbation and coupled-cluster theories to a broad range of properties of solids such as internal energies, enthalpies, structures, equation of state, phonon dispersion curves and density of states, infrared and Raman spectra (including band intensities and sometimes anharmonic effects), inelastic neutron scattering spectra, heat capacities, Gibbs energies, and phase diagrams, while accounting for many-body electrostatic (namely, induction or polarization) effects as well as two-body exchange and dispersion interactions from first principles. They can fundamentally alter the role of computing in the studies of molecular crystals in the same way ab initio molecular orbital theories have transformed research practices in gas-phase physical chemistry and synthetic chemistry in the last half century. In this Account, after a brief summary of formalisms and algorithms, we discuss applications of these methods performed in our group as compelling
Ab initio studies on [bmim][PF6]–CO2 mixture and CO2 clusters

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Wintec

Ionic liquids; supercritical carbon dioxide; ab initio; molecular dynamics. 1. Introduction .... Several experi- mental and simulation studies have been carried out to .... from an analysis of its electronic polarizability (α), which is a measure of the ...
Single-layer 1T‧-MoS2 under electron irradiation from ab initio molecular dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Pizzochero, Michele; Yazyev, Oleg V.

2018-04-01

Irradiation with high-energy particles has recently emerged as an effective tool for tailoring the properties of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides. In order to carry out an atomically-precise manipulation of the lattice, a detailed understanding of the beam-induced events occurring at the atomic scale is necessary. Here, we investigate the response of 1T' -MoS2 to the electron irradiation by ab initio molecular dynamics means. Our simulations suggest that an electron beam with energy smaller than 75 keV does not result in any knock-on damage. The displacement threshold energies are different for the two nonequivalent sulfur atoms in 1T' -MoS2 and strongly depend on whether the top or bottom chalcogen layer is considered. As a result, a careful tuning of the beam energy can promote the formation of ordered defects in the sample. We further discuss the effect of the electron irradiation in the neighborhood of a defective site, the mobility of the sulfur vacancies created and their tendency to aggregate. Overall, our work provides useful guidelines for the imaging and the defect engineering of 1T' -MoS2 using electron microscopy.
Ab initio molecular dynamics study of lithium diffusion in tetragonal Li{sub 7}La{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 12}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andriyevsky, B., E-mail: bohdan.andriyevskyy@tu.koszalin.pl [Faculty of Electronics and Computer Sciences, Koszalin University of Technology, 2 Śniadeckich Str., PL-75-453, Koszalin (Poland); Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, D-89069, Ulm (Germany); Doll, K. [Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, D-89069, Ulm (Germany); Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Pfaffenwaldring 55, D-70569, Stuttgart (Germany); Jacob, T. [Institute of Electrochemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, D-89069, Ulm (Germany); Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) for Electrochemical Energy Storage, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081, Ulm (Germany)

2017-01-01

Using ab initio density functional theory the thermally-stimulated migration of lithium ions in the garnet-type material Li{sub 7}La{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 12} is investigated. The methods of ab initio molecular dynamics have been applied to calculate the lithium ion self-diffusion coefficient and the diffusion barriers as function of lithium ion concentration. The concentration of lithium in the initial Li{sub 7}La{sub 3}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 12} crystal unit cell is varied from 53 to 59 atoms, where 56 lithium atoms represent the stoichiometric concentration. Almost monotonous dependencies of the main characteristics on the number of lithium atoms N{sup (Li)} have been found, except for a non-monotonous peculiarity of the stoichiometric compound (N{sup (Li)} = 56). Finally, the influence of the unit cell volume change on lithium ion diffusion parameters as well as lithium ion hopping rates has been studied. - Highlights: • Partial lithium atoms subtraction from LLZO increases diffusion coefficient D{sup (Li)}. • Partial subtraction of lithium atoms from LLZO decreases activation energy E{sub a}{sup (Li)}. • Activation energy E{sub a}{sup (Li)} is the smallest for tetrahedral oxygen surrounding. • Compression of LLZO leads to a decrease of lithium ion diffusion coefficient D{sup (Li)}.
Molecular structure determination of cyclooctane by Ab Initio and electron diffraction methods in the gas phase; Determinacao da estrutura molecular do ciclooctano por metodos Ab Initio e difracao de eletrons na fase gasosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Almeida, Wagner B. de [Minas Gerais Univ., Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Dept. de Quimica

2000-10-01

The determination of the molecular structure of molecules is of fundamental importance in chemistry. X-rays and electron diffraction methods constitute in important tools for the elucidation of the molecular structure of systems in the solid state and gas phase, respectively. The use of quantum mechanical molecular orbital ab initio methods offer an alternative for conformational analysis studies. Comparison between theoretical results and those obtained experimentally in the gas phase can make a significant contribution for an unambiguous determination of the geometrical parameters. In this article the determination for an unambiguous determination of the geometrical parameters. In this article the determination of the molecular structure of the cyclooctane molecule by electron diffraction in the gas phase an initio calculations will be addressed, providing an example of a comparative analysis of theoretical and experimental predictions. (author)
Ab initio assisted process modeling for Si-based nanoelectronic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Windl, Wolfgang

2005-01-01

In this paper, we discuss concepts and examples of ab initio calculations assisting physics-based process simulation. We focus on how to determine diffusion and reaction constants, where modern methods such as the nudged elastic band method allow a systematic and reliable search for the minimum energy migration path and barrier. We show that once the saddle point is determined, the underlying harmonic transition state theory also allows to calculate the prefactors. The discussed examples include nitrogen diffusion, boron deactivation and boron interface segregation. Finally, some concepts are discussed for future device technologies such as molecular devices, where the currently prevalent multiscale approach (kinetic parameters used in higher level models like diffusion-reaction or kinetic Monte Carlo modeling) would not be sensible anymore. As an example, we described the ab initio temperature-accelerated dynamics modeling of contact formation in carbon nanotube devices
Ab initio study on the dynamics of furfural at the liquid-solid interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, Hongli; Xue, Wenhua; Shields, Darwin; Liu, Yingdi; Jentoft, Friederike; Resasco, Daniel; Wang, Sanwu

2013-03-01

Catalytic biomass conversion sometimes occurs at the liquid-solid interfaces. We report ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at finite temperatures for the catalytic reactions involving furfural at the water-Pd and water-Cu interfaces. We found that, during the dynamic process, the furan ring of furfural prefers to be parallel to the Pd surface and the aldehyde group tends to be away from the Pd surface. On the other hand, at the water-Cu(111) interface, furfural prefers to be tilted to the Cu surface while the aldehyde group is bonded to the surface. In both cases, interaction of liquid water and furfural is identified. The difference of dynamic process of furfural at the two interfaces suggests different catalytic reaction mechanisms for the conversion of furfural, consistent with the experimental investigations. Supported by DOE (DE-SC0004600). Simulations and calculations were performed on XSED's and NERSC's supercomputers
Nuclear quantum effects in ab initio dynamics: Theory and experiments for lithium imide

Science.gov (United States)

Ceriotti, Michele; Miceli, Giacomo; Pietropaolo, Antonino; Colognesi, Daniele; Nale, Angeloclaudio; Catti, Michele; Bernasconi, Marco; Parrinello, Michele

2010-11-01

Owing to their small mass, hydrogen atoms exhibit strong quantum behavior even at room temperature. Including these effects in first-principles calculations is challenging because of the huge computational effort required by conventional techniques. Here we present the first ab initio application of a recently developed stochastic scheme, which allows to approximate nuclear quantum effects inexpensively. The proton momentum distribution of lithium imide, a material of interest for hydrogen storage, was experimentally measured by inelastic neutron-scattering experiments and compared with the outcome of quantum thermostatted ab initio dynamics. We obtain favorable agreement between theory and experiments for this purely quantum-mechanical property, thereby demonstrating that it is possible to improve the modeling of complex hydrogen-containing materials without additional computational effort.
Ab initio vel ex eventu

Science.gov (United States)

Thiessen, P. A.; Treder, H.-J.

Der gegenwärtige Stand der physikalischen Erkenntnis, in Sonderheit die Atomistik und die Quantentheorie, ermöglicht (in wohldefinierten Energie-Bereichen) eine ab initio-Berechnung aller physikalischen und chemischen Prozesse und Strukturen. Die Schrödinger-Gleichung erlaubt zusammen mit den Prinzipien der Quantenstatistik (Pauli-Prinzip) aus dem Planckschen Wirkungsquantum h und den atomischen Konstanten die Berechnung aller Energieumsätze, Zeitabläufe etc., die insbesondere die chemische Physik bestimmen. Die Rechenresultate gelten auch quantitativ bis auf die unvermeidliche Stochastik.Die ab initio-Berechnungen korrespondieren einerseits und sind andererseits komplementär zu den auf den Methoden der theoretischen Chemie und der klassischen Thermodynamik beruhenden Ergebnissen ex eventu. Die theoretische Behandlung ab initio führt zu mathematischen Experimenten, die die Laboratoriums-Experimente ergänzen oder auch substituieren.Translated AbstractAb initio vel ex eventuThe present state of physical knowledge, in peculiar atomistic and quantum theory, makes an ab initio calculation of all physical and chemical processes and structures possible (in well defined reaches of energy). The Schrödinger equation together with the principles of quantum statistics (Pauli principle) permits from the Planck and atomistic constants to calculate all exchanges of energy, courses of time, etc. which govern chemical physics. The calculated results are valid even quantitatively apart from the unavoidable stochastics.These ab initio calculations on the one hand correspond and are on the other complimentary to results ex eventu based on the methods of theoretical chemistry and classical thermodynamics. Theoretical treatment ab initio leads to mathematical experiments which add to or even substitute experiments in the laboratory.
Statistical properties of the dense hydrogen plasma: An ab initio molecular dynamics investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohanoff, J.; Hansen, J.P.

1995-12-01

The hydrogen plasma is studied in the very high density (atomic and metallic) regime by extensive ab initio Molecular Dynamics simulations. Protons are treated classically, and electrons in the Born-Oppenheimer framework, within the local density approximation (LDA). Densities and temperatures studied fall within the strong coupling regime of the protons. We address the question of the validity of linear screening, and we find it to yield a reasonably good description up to r s approx. 0.5, but already too crude for r s = 1 (with r s = (3/4πρ) 1/3 the ion sphere radius). Finite-size and Brillouin zone sampling effects in metallic systems are studied and shown to be very delicate also in the fluid (liquid metal) phase. We analyse the low-temperature phase diagram and the melting transition. A remarkably fast decrease of the melting temperature with decreasing density is found, up to a point when it becomes comparable to the Fermi temperature of the protons. The possible vicinity of a triple point bcc-hcp(fcc)- liquid is discussed in the region of r s approx. 1.1 and T approx. 100 - 200K. The fluid phase is studied in detail for several temperatures. Proton-electron correlations show a weak temperature dependence, and proton-proton correlations exhibit a well-defined first coordination shell, thus characterizing fluid H in this regime as an atomic liquid. Diffusion coefficients are compared to the values for the one-component plasma. Vibrational densities of states (VDOS) show a plasmon renormalization due to electron screening, and the presence of a plasmon-coupled single-particle mode up to very high temperatures. Collective modes are studied through dynamical structure factors. In close relationship with the VDOS, the simulations reveal the remarkable persistent of a weakly damped high-frequency ion acoustic mode, even under conditions of strong electron screening. The possibility of using this observation as a diagnostic for the plasma phase transition to the
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of interstitial diffusion in Ni–Cr alloys and implications for radiation induced segregation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnard, L., E-mail: lmbarnard@wisc.edu; Morgan, D., E-mail: ddmorgan@wisc.edu

2014-06-01

In this study, ab initio molecular dynamics, implemented via density functional theory, is used to simulate self-interstitial diffusion in pure Ni and in the Ni-18 at.% Cr model alloy. Interstitial tracer diffusivities are measured from simulation results for pure Ni and for both Ni and Cr in the Ni–18Cr alloy. An Arrhenius function fit to these tracer diffusivities is then used in a rate theory model for radiation induced segregation, along with the experimentally measured vacancy diffusivities. It is predicted that interstitial diffusion has a tendency to cause Cr enrichment near grain boundaries, partially counterbalancing the tendency for vacancy diffusion to cause Cr depletion. This results in more mild Cr depletion than would result if only the vacancy diffusion were accounted for, in better agreement with experiment. This physical description of RIS in Ni–Cr alloys, which invokes the effects of both vacancy and interstitial diffusion, is distinct from the conventional description which accounts only for the effect of vacancy diffusion.
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of interstitial diffusion in Ni–Cr alloys and implications for radiation induced segregation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnard, L.; Morgan, D.

2014-01-01

In this study, ab initio molecular dynamics, implemented via density functional theory, is used to simulate self-interstitial diffusion in pure Ni and in the Ni-18 at.% Cr model alloy. Interstitial tracer diffusivities are measured from simulation results for pure Ni and for both Ni and Cr in the Ni–18Cr alloy. An Arrhenius function fit to these tracer diffusivities is then used in a rate theory model for radiation induced segregation, along with the experimentally measured vacancy diffusivities. It is predicted that interstitial diffusion has a tendency to cause Cr enrichment near grain boundaries, partially counterbalancing the tendency for vacancy diffusion to cause Cr depletion. This results in more mild Cr depletion than would result if only the vacancy diffusion were accounted for, in better agreement with experiment. This physical description of RIS in Ni–Cr alloys, which invokes the effects of both vacancy and interstitial diffusion, is distinct from the conventional description which accounts only for the effect of vacancy diffusion
Explicit polarization (X-Pol) potential using ab initio molecular orbital theory and density functional theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Lingchun; Han, Jaebeom; Lin, Yen-lin; Xie, Wangshen; Gao, Jiali

2009-10-29

The explicit polarization (X-Pol) method has been examined using ab initio molecular orbital theory and density functional theory. The X-Pol potential was designed to provide a novel theoretical framework for developing next-generation force fields for biomolecular simulations. Importantly, the X-Pol potential is a general method, which can be employed with any level of electronic structure theory. The present study illustrates the implementation of the X-Pol method using ab initio Hartree-Fock theory and hybrid density functional theory. The computational results are illustrated by considering a set of bimolecular complexes of small organic molecules and ions with water. The computed interaction energies and hydrogen bond geometries are in good accord with CCSD(T) calculations and B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ optimizations.
Ab initio study of electron-ion structure factors in binary liquids with different types of chemical bonding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klevets, Ivan; Bryk, Taras

2014-01-01

Electron-ion structure factors, calculated in ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, are reported for several binary liquids with different kinds of chemical bonding: metallic liquid alloy Bi–Pb, molten salt RbF, and liquid water. We derive analytical expressions for the long-wavelength asymptotes of the partial electron-ion structure factors of binary systems and show that the analytical results are in good agreement with the ab initio simulation data. The long-wavelength behaviour of the total charge structure factors for the three binary liquids is discussed

An ab initio approach to free-energy reconstruction using logarithmic mean force dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Makoto; Obata, Masao; Morishita, Tetsuya; Oda, Tatsuki

2014-01-01

We present an ab initio approach for evaluating a free energy profile along a reaction coordinate by combining logarithmic mean force dynamics (LogMFD) and first-principles molecular dynamics. The mean force, which is the derivative of the free energy with respect to the reaction coordinate, is estimated using density functional theory (DFT) in the present approach, which is expected to provide an accurate free energy profile along the reaction coordinate. We apply this new method, first-principles LogMFD (FP-LogMFD), to a glycine dipeptide molecule and reconstruct one- and two-dimensional free energy profiles in the framework of DFT. The resultant free energy profile is compared with that obtained by the thermodynamic integration method and by the previous LogMFD calculation using an empirical force-field, showing that FP-LogMFD is a promising method to calculate free energy without empirical force-fields
Ab initio electronic structure and correlations in pristine and potassium-doped molecular crystals of copper phthalocyanine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Giovannetti, G.; Brocks, G.; van den Brink, J.

2008-01-01

We investigate the effect that potassium intercalation has on the electronic structure of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) molecular crystals by means of ab initio density functional calculations. Pristine CuPc (in its alpha and beta structures) is found to be an insulator containing local magnetic
Diverging effects of isotopic fractionation upon molecular diffusion of noble gases in water: mechanistic insights through ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto de Magalhães, Halua; Brennwald, Matthias S; Kipfer, Rolf

2017-03-22

Atmospheric noble gases are routinely used as natural tracers to analyze gas transfer processes in aquatic systems. Their isotopic ratios can be employed to discriminate between different physical transport mechanisms by comparison to the unfractionated atmospheric isotope composition. In many applications of aquatic systems molecular diffusion was thought to cause a mass dependent fractionation of noble gases and their isotopes according to the square root ratio of their masses. However, recent experiments focusing on isotopic fractionation within a single element challenged this broadly accepted assumption. The determined fractionation factors of Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe isotopes revealed that only Ar follows the prediction of the so-called square root relation, whereas within the Ne, Kr and Xe elements no mass-dependence was found. The reason for this unexpected divergence of Ar is not yet understood. The aim of our computational exercise is to establish the molecular-resolved mechanisms behind molecular diffusion of noble gases in water. We make the hypothesis that weak intermolecular interactions are relevant for the dynamical properties of noble gases dissolved in water. Therefore, we used ab initio molecular dynamics to explicitly account for the electronic degrees of freedom. Depending on the size and polarizability of the hydrophobic particles such as noble gases, their motion in dense and polar liquids like water is subject to different diffusive regimes: the inter-cavity hopping mechanism of small particles (He, Ne) breaks down if a critical particle size achieved. For the case of large particles (Kr, Xe), the motion through the water solvent is governed by mass-independent viscous friction leading to hydrodynamical diffusion. Finally, Ar falls in between the two diffusive regimes, where particle dispersion is propagated at the molecular collision time scale of the surrounding water molecules.
Ab Initio Studies of Shock-Induced Chemical Reactions of Inter-Metallics

Science.gov (United States)

Zaharieva, Roussislava; Hanagud, Sathya

2009-06-01

Shock-induced and shock assisted chemical reactions of intermetallic mixtures are studied by many researchers, using both experimental and theoretical techniques. The theoretical studies are primarily at continuum scales. The model frameworks include mixture theories and meso-scale models of grains of porous mixtures. The reaction models vary from equilibrium thermodynamic model to several non-equilibrium thermodynamic models. The shock-effects are primarily studied using appropriate conservation equations and numerical techniques to integrate the equations. All these models require material constants from experiments and estimates of transition states. Thus, the objective of this paper is to present studies based on ab initio techniques. The ab inito studies, to date, use ab inito molecular dynamics. This paper presents a study that uses shock pressures, and associated temperatures as starting variables. Then intermetallic mixtures are modeled as slabs. The required shock stresses are created by straining the lattice. Then, ab initio binding energy calculations are used to examine the stability of the reactions. Binding energies are obtained for different strain components super imposed on uniform compression and finite temperatures. Then, vibrational frequencies and nudge elastic band techniques are used to study reactivity and transition states. Examples include Ni and Al.
Molecular structure determination of cyclooctane by Ab Initio and electron diffraction methods in the gas phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida, Wagner B. de

2000-01-01

The determination of the molecular structure of molecules is of fundamental importance in chemistry. X-rays and electron diffraction methods constitute in important tools for the elucidation of the molecular structure of systems in the solid state and gas phase, respectively. The use of quantum mechanical molecular orbital ab initio methods offer an alternative for conformational analysis studies. Comparison between theoretical results and those obtained experimentally in the gas phase can make a significant contribution for an unambiguous determination of the geometrical parameters. In this article the determination for an unambiguous determination of the geometrical parameters. In this article the determination of the molecular structure of the cyclooctane molecule by electron diffraction in the gas phase an initio calculations will be addressed, providing an example of a comparative analysis of theoretical and experimental predictions. (author)
Molecular structure determination of cyclootane by ab initio and electron diffraction methods in the gas phase

OpenAIRE

De Almeida, Wagner B.

2000-01-01

The determination of the molecular structure of molecules is of fundamental importance in chemistry. X-rays and electron diffraction methods constitute in important tools for the elucidation of the molecular structure of systems in the solid state and gas phase, respectively. The use of quantum mechanical molecular orbital ab initio methods offer an alternative for conformational analysis studies. Comparison between theoretical results and those obtained experimentally in the gas phase can ma...
Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio multiple spawning studies of hexamethylcyclopentadiene

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wolf, T. J. A.; Kuhlman, Thomas Scheby; Schalk, O.

2014-01-01

Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio multiple spawning were applied to the ultrafast non-adiabatic dynamics of hexamethylcyclopentadiene. The high level of agreement between experiment and theory associates wavepacket motion with a distinct degree of freedom.......Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio multiple spawning were applied to the ultrafast non-adiabatic dynamics of hexamethylcyclopentadiene. The high level of agreement between experiment and theory associates wavepacket motion with a distinct degree of freedom....
Free energy landscape of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to CO on aqueous FeN4 center embedded graphene studied by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Tian; Sun, Shi-Gang

2017-11-01

Experiments have found that the porphyrin-like FeN4 site in Fe-N-C materials is highly efficient for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 into CO. In this work, we investigated the reduction mechanisms on FeN4 embedded graphene layer catalyst with some explicit water molecules by combining the constrained ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and thermodynamic integrations. The reaction free energy and electron transfer in each elementary step were identified. The initial CO2 activation was identified to go through the first electron transfer to form adsorbed CO2- anion and the CO desorption was the rate limiting step in the overall catalytic cycle.
Study of hydrogen-molecule guests in type II clathrate hydrates using a force-matched potential model parameterised from ab initio molecular dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Burnham, Christian J.; Futera, Zdenek; English, Niall J.

2018-03-01

The force-matching method has been applied to parameterise an empirical potential model for water-water and water-hydrogen intermolecular interactions for use in clathrate-hydrate simulations containing hydrogen guest molecules. The underlying reference simulations constituted ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) of clathrate hydrates with various occupations of hydrogen-molecule guests. It is shown that the resultant model is able to reproduce AIMD-derived free-energy curves for the movement of a tagged hydrogen molecule between the water cages that make up the clathrate, thus giving us confidence in the model. Furthermore, with the aid of an umbrella-sampling algorithm, we calculate barrier heights for the force-matched model, yielding the free-energy barrier for a tagged molecule to move between cages. The barrier heights are reasonably large, being on the order of 30 kJ/mol, and are consistent with our previous studies with empirical models [C. J. Burnham and N. J. English, J. Phys. Chem. C 120, 16561 (2016) and C. J. Burnham et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 19, 717 (2017)]. Our results are in opposition to the literature, which claims that this system may have very low barrier heights. We also compare results to that using the more ad hoc empirical model of Alavi et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 123, 024507 (2005)] and find that this model does very well when judged against the force-matched and ab initio simulation data.
Ab initio study of isomerism in molecular Li2AB+ ions with 12 and 14 valence electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charkin, O.P.; Klimenko, N.M.; Mak-Ki, M.L.; Shlojer, P.R.

1997-01-01

Ab initio calculations of potential energy surfaces (PES) of molecular ions Li 2 AB + with 12 and 14 valence electrons have been made in the framework of approximations MP2/6-31G*//HF/6-31G*+ZPE(HF/6-31G*) and MP4SDTQ/6-31*//MP2/6-31G*+ZPE(MP2/6-31G*). The following most favourable structures have been found: a double-terminal linear for LiNO + (a triplet); a plane bicyclic one for Li 2 OF + , Li 2 SCl + , Li 2 NO + (a singlet) and Li 2 PS + (a singlet), where both cations are coordinated to A-B bond; rectangular (T-shaped) for Li 2 OCl + and SFLi + , as well as for LiNS + and POLi 2 + ions in singlet and triplet states; in the form of a half-opened butterfly for Li 2 PS + (a triplet) and Li 2 SCl +
On-the-fly ab initio semiclassical dynamics: Emission spectra of oligothiophenes

Science.gov (United States)

Wehrle, Marius; Sulc, Miroslav; Vanicek, Jiri

2014-03-01

We employ the thawed Gaussian approximation (TGA) [E. J. Heller, J. Chem. Phys. 62, 1544 (1975)] within an on-the-fly ab initio (OTF-AI) scheme to calculate the vibrationally resolved emission spectra of oligothiophenes up to five rings. OTF-AI-TGA is efficient enough to treat all vibrational degrees of freedom on an equal footing even in case of 5-oligothiophene (105 vibrational degrees of freedom), thus obviating the need for the crude global harmonic approximation, popular for large system. The experimental emission spectra have been almost perfectly reproduced. In order to provide a deeper insight into the associated physical and chemical processes, we present a systematic approach to assess the importance and to analyze the mutual coupling of individual vibrational degrees of freedom during the dynamics. This allows us to explain the changes in the vibrational line shapes of the oligothiophenes with increasing number of rings. Furthermore, we observe the dynamical interplay between quinoid and aromatic characters of individual rings in the oligothiophene chain during the dynamics and confirm that the quinoid character prevails in the center of the chain. This research was supported by the Swiss NSF Grant No. 200021_124936/1 and NCCR Molecular Ultrafast Science & Technology (MUST), and by the EPFL.
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations on the structural change of liquid eutectic alloy Si15Te85 from 673 to 1373 k

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yubing; Zhao Gang; Liu Changsong; Zhu Zhengang

2010-01-01

Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and inherent structure formalism, the local atomic structure and electronic properties of liquid Si 15 Te 85 alloy were studied at eight different temperatures from 673 to 1373 K. In comparison with available experimental data, our calculated structure factors are acceptable. With increasing temperature from 773 to 1173 K, the calculated total coordination number N Total increases gradually in contrast to the behavior of a classical isotropic fluid. Our results of pair-correlation functions, bond-angle distribution functions and angular limited triplet correlation functions suggest that the temperature-dependence of the preserved sp 3 hybridization of Si atoms and Peierls-type distorted local structure around Te atoms both play important roles in the structural change of Si 15 Te 85 characterized by thermodynamic anomalies.
Vibrational circular dichroism from ab initio molecular dynamics and nuclear velocity perturbation theory in the liquid phase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scherrer, Arne [Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Institut für Chemie, von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, 06120 Halle (Germany); Département de Chimie, École Normale supérieure, PSL Research University, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, PASTEUR, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris (France); Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, ENS, CNRS, PASTEUR, 75005 Paris (France); Vuilleumier, Rodolphe, E-mail: rodolphe.vuilleumier@ens.fr [Département de Chimie, École Normale supérieure, PSL Research University, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, PASTEUR, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris (France); Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, ENS, CNRS, PASTEUR, 75005 Paris (France); Sebastiani, Daniel, E-mail: daniel.sebastiani@chemie.uni-halle.de [Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Institut für Chemie, von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, 06120 Halle (Germany)

2016-08-28

We report the first fully ab initio calculation of dynamical vibrational circular dichroism spectra in the liquid phase using nuclear velocity perturbation theory (NVPT) derived electronic currents. Our approach is rigorous and general and thus capable of treating weak interactions of chiral molecules as, e.g., chirality transfer from a chiral molecule to an achiral solvent. We use an implementation of the NVPT that is projected along the dynamics to obtain the current and magnetic dipole moments required for accurate intensities. The gauge problem in the liquid phase is resolved in a twofold approach. The electronic expectation values are evaluated in a distributed origin gauge, employing maximally localized Wannier orbitals. In a second step, the gauge invariant spectrum is obtained in terms of a scaled molecular moments, which allows to systematically include solvent effects while keeping a significant signal-to-noise ratio. We give a thorough analysis and discussion of this choice of gauge for the liquid phase. At low temperatures, we recover the established double harmonic approximation. The methodology is applied to chiral molecules ((S)-d{sub 2}-oxirane and (R)-propylene-oxide) in the gas phase and in solution. We find an excellent agreement with the theoretical and experimental references, including the emergence of signals due to chirality transfer from the solute to the (achiral) solvent.
Many-body optimization using an ab initio monte carlo method.

Science.gov (United States)

Haubein, Ned C; McMillan, Scott A; Broadbelt, Linda J

2003-01-01

Advances in computing power have made it possible to study solvated molecules using ab initio quantum chemistry. Inclusion of discrete solvent molecules is required to determine geometric information about solute/solvent clusters. Monte Carlo methods are well suited to finding minima in many-body systems, and ab initio methods are applicable to the widest range of systems. A first principles Monte Carlo (FPMC) method was developed to find minima in many-body systems, and emphasis was placed on implementing moves that increase the likelihood of finding minimum energy structures. Partial optimization and molecular interchange moves aid in finding minima and overcome the incomplete sampling that is unavoidable when using ab initio methods. FPMC was validated by studying the boron trifluoride-water system, and then the method was used to examine the methyl carbenium ion in water to demonstrate its application to solvation problems.
Ab initio study of structural and mechanical property of solid molecular hydrogens

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Yingting; Yang, Li; Yang, Tianle; Nie, Jinlan; Peng, Shuming; Long, Xinggui; Zu, Xiaotao; Du, Jincheng

2015-06-01

Ab initio calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) were performed to investigate the structural and the elastic properties of solid molecular hydrogens (H2). The influence of molecular axes of H2 on structural relative stabilities of hexagonal close-packed (hcp) and face-centered cubic (fcc) structured hydrogen molecular crystals were systematically investigated. Our results indicate that for hcp structures, disordered hydrogen molecule structure is more stable, while for fcc structures, Pa3 hydrogen molecular crystal is most stable. The cohesive energy of fcc H2 crystal was found to be lower than hcp. The mechanical properties of fcc and hcp hydrogen molecular crystals were obtained, with results consistent with previous theoretical calculations. In addition, the effects of zero point energy (ZPE) and van der Waals (vdW) correction on the cohesive energy and the stability of hydrogen molecular crystals were systematically studied and discussed.
Routine calculation of ab initio melting curves: application to aluminum

OpenAIRE

Robert, Grégory; Legrand, Philippe; Arnault, Philippe; Desbiens, Nicolas; Clérouin, Jean

2014-01-01

We present a simple, fast, and reliable method to compute the melting curves of materials with ab initio molecular dynamics. It is based on the two-phase thermodynamic model of [Lin et al., J. Chem. Phys. 119, 11792 (2003)] and its improved version given by [Desjarlais, Phys. Rev. E, 88, 062145 (2013)]. In this model, the velocity autocorrelation function is utilized to calculate the contribution of the nuclei motion to the entropy of the solid and liquid phases. It is then possible to find t...
Structure of the glass-forming metallic liquids by ab-initio and classical molecular dynamics, a case study: Quenching the Cu{sub 60}Ti{sub 20}Zr{sub 20} alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amokrane, S.; Ayadim, A.; Levrel, L. [Groupe “Physique des Liquides et Milieux Complexes,” Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Université Paris-Est (Créteil), 61 av. du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex (France)

2015-11-21

We consider the question of the amorphization of metallic alloys by melt quenching, as predicted by molecular dynamics simulations with semi-empirical potentials. The parametrization of the potentials is discussed on the example of the ternary Cu-Ti-Zr transition metals alloy, using the ab-initio simulation as a reference. The pair structure in the amorphous state is computed from a potential of the Stillinger-Weber form. The transferability of the parameters during the quench is investigated using two parametrizations: from solid state data, as usual and from a new parametrization on the liquid structure. When the adjustment is made on the pair structure of the liquid, a satisfactory transferability is found between the pure components and their alloys. The liquid structure predicted in this way agrees well with experiment, in contrast with the one obtained using the adjustment on the solid. The final structure, after quenches down to the amorphous state, determined with the new set of parameters is shown to be very close to the ab-initio one, the latter being in excellent agreement with recent X-rays diffraction experiments. The corresponding critical temperature of the glass transition is estimated from the behavior of the heat capacity. Discussion on the consistency between the structures predicted using semi-empirical potentials and ab-initio simulation, and comparison of different experimental data underlines the question of the dependence of the final structure on the thermodynamic path followed to reach the amorphous state.
Collective rotation from ab initio theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caprio, M.A.; Maris, P.; Vary, J.P.; Smith, R.

2015-01-01

Through ab initio approaches in nuclear theory, we may now seek to quantitatively understand the wealth of nuclear collective phenomena starting from the underlying internucleon interactions. No-core configuration interaction (NCCI) calculations for p-shell nuclei give rise to rotational bands, as evidenced by rotational patterns for excitation energies, electromagnetic moments and electromagnetic transitions. In this review, NCCI calculations of 7–9 Be are used to illustrate and explore ab initio rotational structure, and the resulting predictions for rotational band properties are compared with experiment. We highlight the robustness of ab initio rotational predictions across different choices for the internucleon interaction. (author)
Ab initio R-matrix/Multi-channel Quantum Defect Theory applied to Molecular Core Excitation and Ionization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiyama, M.; Kosugi, N.

2004-01-01

Full text: Ab initio R-matrix/MQDT approach, which is a combination of ab initio R-matrix techniques and the multi channel quantum defect theory (MQDT), has recently been developed by one of the present authors (MH) and Child, to successfully obtain the potential energy curves of Rydberg states converging to not only the lowest but also the higher ionized states. This approach is also applied to estimate the valence state interaction with Rydberg and continuum (ionization) channels. Very recently we have made an original ab initio polyatomic R-matrix/MQDT program package, GSCF4R based on Gaussian type basis functions for the bound and continuum states, to extensively study molecular excitation and ionization in the X-ray region as well as in the VUV region. We are going to report the results for core excitation and ionization of diatomic molecules such as NO and O 2 to show that the R-matrix/MQDT method is indispensable to describe the core-to-Rydberg states with the higher quantum number and the continuum states. These results lead us to the conclusion that the close-coupling approximation augmented with the correlation term within the R-matrix/MQDT formalism is powerful to calculate the Rydberg-valence mixing and the interchannel coupling between several core-ionized states
Dinâmica molecular ab initio:aplicações ao estudo de propriedades electrónicas de sistemas moleculares

OpenAIRE

Martiniano, Hugo Filipe de Mesquita Costa, 1978-

2013-01-01

Tese de doutoramento, Química (Química-Física), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2013 O método da dinâmica molecular ab initio exibe vantagens significativas para o estudo da estrutura e propriedades electrónicas de sistemas moleculares complexos. No entanto, uma das suas desvantagens é o elevado custo computacional, quando comparado com os métodos de dinâmica molecular clássicos. Um dos modos de resolver este problema é adoptar uma abordagem sequencial, na qual a dinâmica é ...

Avoiding fractional electrons in subsystem DFT based ab-initio molecular dynamics yields accurate models for liquid water and solvated OH radical

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genova, Alessandro; Pavanello, Michele; Ceresoli, Davide

2016-01-01

In this work we achieve three milestones: (1) we present a subsystem DFT method capable of running ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations accurately and efficiently. (2) In order to rid the simulations of inter-molecular self-interaction error, we exploit the ability of semilocal frozen density embedding formulation of subsystem DFT to represent the total electron density as a sum of localized subsystem electron densities that are constrained to integrate to a preset, constant number of electrons; the success of the method relies on the fact that employed semilocal nonadditive kinetic energy functionals effectively cancel out errors in semilocal exchange–correlation potentials that are linked to static correlation effects and self-interaction. (3) We demonstrate this concept by simulating liquid water and solvated OH • radical. While the bulk of our simulations have been performed on a periodic box containing 64 independent water molecules for 52 ps, we also simulated a box containing 256 water molecules for 22 ps. The results show that, provided one employs an accurate nonadditive kinetic energy functional, the dynamics of liquid water and OH • radical are in semiquantitative agreement with experimental results or higher-level electronic structure calculations. Our assessments are based upon comparisons of radial and angular distribution functions as well as the diffusion coefficient of the liquid.
Avoiding fractional electrons in subsystem DFT based ab-initio molecular dynamics yields accurate models for liquid water and solvated OH radical.

Science.gov (United States)

Genova, Alessandro; Ceresoli, Davide; Pavanello, Michele

2016-06-21

In this work we achieve three milestones: (1) we present a subsystem DFT method capable of running ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations accurately and efficiently. (2) In order to rid the simulations of inter-molecular self-interaction error, we exploit the ability of semilocal frozen density embedding formulation of subsystem DFT to represent the total electron density as a sum of localized subsystem electron densities that are constrained to integrate to a preset, constant number of electrons; the success of the method relies on the fact that employed semilocal nonadditive kinetic energy functionals effectively cancel out errors in semilocal exchange-correlation potentials that are linked to static correlation effects and self-interaction. (3) We demonstrate this concept by simulating liquid water and solvated OH(•) radical. While the bulk of our simulations have been performed on a periodic box containing 64 independent water molecules for 52 ps, we also simulated a box containing 256 water molecules for 22 ps. The results show that, provided one employs an accurate nonadditive kinetic energy functional, the dynamics of liquid water and OH(•) radical are in semiquantitative agreement with experimental results or higher-level electronic structure calculations. Our assessments are based upon comparisons of radial and angular distribution functions as well as the diffusion coefficient of the liquid.
Ab Initio Predictions of Hexagonal Zr(B,C,N) Polymorphs for Coherent Interface Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Chongze [Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN (United States); Huang, Jingsong [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Sumpter, Bobby G. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Meletis, Efstathios [Univ. of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX (United States); Dumitrica, Traian [Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN (United States)

2017-10-27

Density functional theory calculations are used to explore hexagonal (HX) NiAs-like polymorphs of Zr(B,C,N) and compare with corresponding Zr(B,C,N) Hagg-like face-centered cubic rocksalt (B1) phases. While all predicted compounds are mechanically stable according to the Born-Huang criteria, only HX Zr(C,N) are found dynamically stable from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and lattice dynamics calculations. HX ZrN emerges as a candidate structure with ground state energy, elastic constants, and extrinsic mechanical parameters comparable with those of B1 ZrN. Ab initio band structure and semi-classical Boltzmann transport calculations predict a metallic character and a monotonic increase in electrical conductivity with the number of valence electrons. Electronic structure calculations indicate that the HX phases gain their stability and mechanical attributes by Zr d- non-metal p hybridization and by broadening of Zr d bands. Furthermore, it is shown that the HX ZrN phase provides a low-energy coherent interface model for connecting B1 ZrN domains, with significant energetic advantage over an atomistic interface model derived from high resolution transmission electron microscopy images. The ab initio characterizations provided herein should aid the experimental identification of non-Hagg-like hard phases. Furthermore, the results can also enrich the variety of crystalline phases potentially available for designing coherent interfaces in superhard nanostructured materials and in materials with multilayer characteristics.
Structure and dynamics of solvated Ba(II) in dilute aqueous solution - an ab initio QM/MM MD approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofer, Thomas S.; Rode, Bernd M.; Randolf, Bernhard R.

2005-01-01

Structural properties of the hydrated Ba(II) ion have been investigated by ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at double zeta HF quantum mechanical level. The first shell coordination number was found to be 9.3, and several other structural parameters such as angular distribution functions, radial distribution functions and tilt- and θ-angle distributions allowed the full characterization of the hydration structure of the Ba(II) ion in dilute aqueous solution. Velocity autocorrelation functions were used to calculate librational and vibrational motions, ion-ligand motions as well as reorientation times. Different dynamical parameters such as water reorientation, mean ligand residence time, the number of ligand exchange processes and rate constants were also analyzed and the ligand exchange rate constant for the first shell was determined as k = 5.3 x 10 10 s -1
Ab initio molecular dynamics study of temperature and pressure-dependent infrared dielectric functions of liquid methanol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. C. Wang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The temperature and pressure-dependent dielectric functions of liquids are of great importance to the thermal radiation transfer and the diagnosis and control of fuel combustion. In this work, we apply the state-of-the-art ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD method to calculate the infrared dielectric functions of liquid methanol at 183–573 K and 0.1–160 MPa in the spectral range 10−4000 cm−1, and study the temperature and pressure effects on the dielectric functions. The AIMD approach is validated by the Infrared Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (IR-VASE experimental measurements at 298 K and 0.1 MPa, and the proposed IR-VASE method is verified by comparison with paper data of distilled water. The results of the AIMD approach agrees well with the experimental values of IR-VASE. The experimental and theoretical analyses indicate that the temperature and pressure exert a noticeable influence on the infrared dielectric functions of liquid methanol. As temperature increases, the average molecular dipole moment decreases. The amplitudes of dominant absorption peaks reduce to almost one half as temperature increases from 183 to 333 K at 0.1 MPa and from 273 to 573 K at 160 MPa. The absorption peaks below 1500 cm–1 show a redshift, while those centered around 3200 cm–1 show a blueshift. Moreover, larger average dipole moments are observed as pressure increases. The amplitudes of dominant absorption peaks increase to almost two times as pressure increases from 1 to 160 MPa at 373 K.
Ab initio molecular dynamics study of thermite reaction at Al and CuO nano-interfaces at different temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Cui-Ming; Chen, Xiao-Xu; Cheng, Xin-Lu; Zhang, Chao-Yang; Lu, Zhi-Peng

2018-05-01

The thermite reaction at Al/CuO nano-interfaces is investigated with ab initio molecular dynamics calculations in canonical ensemble at 500 K, 800 K, 1200 K and 1500 K, respectively. The reaction process and reaction products are analyzed in terms of chemical bonds, average charge, time constants and total potential energy. The activity of the reactants enhances with increasing temperature, which induces a faster thermite reaction. The alloy reaction obviously expands outward at Cu-rich interface of Al/CuO system, and the reaction between Al and O atoms obviously expands outward at O-rich interface as temperature increases. Different reaction products are found at the outermost layer of different interfaces in the Al/CuO system. In generally, the average charge of the outer layer aluminum atoms (i.e., Al1, Al2, Al5 and Al6) increases with temperature. The potential energy of Al/CuO system decreases significantly, which indicates that drastic exothermic reaction occurs at the Al/CuO system. This research enhances fundamental understanding in temperature effect on the thermite reaction at atomic level, which can potentially open new possibilities for its industrial application.
Quantum chemistry the development of ab initio methods in molecular electronic structure theory

CERN Document Server

Schaefer III, Henry F

2004-01-01

This guide is guaranteed to prove of keen interest to the broad spectrum of experimental chemists who use electronic structure theory to assist in the interpretation of their laboratory findings. A list of 150 landmark papers in ab initio molecular electronic structure methods, it features the first page of each paper (which usually encompasses the abstract and introduction). Its primary focus is methodology, rather than the examination of particular chemical problems, and the selected papers either present new and important methods or illustrate the effectiveness of existing methods in predi
Ab initio theoretical calculations of the electronic excitation energies of small water clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Tachikawa, Hiroto; Yabushita, Akihiro; Kawasaki, Masahiro

2011-12-14

A direct ab initio molecular dynamics method has been applied to a water monomer and water clusters (H(2)O)(n) (n = 1-3) to elucidate the effects of zero-point energy (ZPE) vibration on the absorption spectra of water clusters. Static ab initio calculations without ZPE showed that the first electronic transitions of (H(2)O)(n), (1)B(1)←(1)A(1), are blue-shifted as a function of cluster size (n): 7.38 eV (n = 1), 7.58 eV (n = 2) and 8.01 eV (n = 3). The inclusion of the ZPE vibration strongly affects the excitation energies of a water dimer, and a long red-tail appears in the range of 6.42-6.90 eV due to the structural flexibility of a water dimer. The ultraviolet photodissociation of water clusters and water ice surfaces is relevant to these results.
Ab initio simulations and neutron scattering studies of structure and dynamics in PdH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Totolici, I.E.

2001-07-01

The work presented in this PhD thesis is concerned with the interpretation of the neutron scattering measurements from the palladium hydrogen system by means of ab initio electronic structure calculations. The motivation of performing such calculations was due to recent neutron scattering studies on this system that showed a strong directional dependence to the dynamical structure factor together with a complex dependence on energy. Here we attempt to describe the origin of these features by ab initio simulations of the dynamical structure factor. The method assumes an adiabatic separation of the motion of the proton and palladium atoms. The proton wave functions are calculated by a direct solution of the associated single-particle Schroedinger equation using a plane wave basis set method and a mapping of the adiabatic surface. The Fourier components of the adiabatic potential are obtained from LDA pseudopotential calculations. Using Fermi's golden rule within the Born approximation we were then able to calculate the dynamical structure factor, S(Q,ω), for exciting the proton from its ground state to various excited states as a function of the magnitude and direction of the scattering wave vector. The results are in agreement with the inelastic neutron scattering spectra and allow us to identify the origin of previous inexplicable features, in particular the strong directional dependence to the experimental data. The method was extended to investigate the expansion of the equilibrium lattice constant as a function of the H isotope when the zero-point energy of the proton/deuterium is explicitly taken into account in the relaxation process. The results we obtained predicted a bigger lattice constant for the hydride, as expected. Furthermore, other complex ab initio calculations were carried out in order to describe the origin of the large optic dispersion, seen previously in the coherent neutron scattering data. Our calculated dispersion proved to be in good
Cooperative effects in spherical spasers: Ab initio analytical model

Science.gov (United States)

Bordo, V. G.

2017-06-01

A fully analytical semiclassical theory of cooperative optical processes which occur in an ensemble of molecules embedded in a spherical core-shell nanoparticle is developed from first principles. Both the plasmonic Dicke effect and spaser generation are investigated for the designs in which a shell/core contains an arbitrarily large number of active molecules in the vicinity of a metallic core/shell. An essential aspect of the theory is an ab initio account of the feedback from the core/shell boundaries which significantly modifies the molecular dynamics. The theory provides rigorous, albeit simple and physically transparent, criteria for both plasmonic superradiance and surface plasmon generation.
Permanent and induced dipole requirements in ab initio calculations of electron affinities of polar molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrett, W.R.

1979-01-01

Through the use of a molecular pseudopotential method, we determine the a approximate magnitudes of errors that result when electron affinity determinations of polar negative ions are made through ab initio calculations in which the use of a given basis set yields inappropriate values for permanent and induced dipole moments of the neutral molecule. These results should prove useful in assessing the adequacy of basis sets in ab initio calculations of molecular electron affinities for simple linear polar molecules
Electron-nuclear dynamics of molecular systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diz, A.; Oehrn, Y.

1994-01-01

The content of an ab initio time-dependent theory of quantum molecular dynamics of electrons and atomic nuclei is presented. Employing the time-dependent variational principle and a family of approximate state vectors yields a set of dynamical equations approximating the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. These equations govern the time evolution of the relevant state vector parameters as molecular orbital coefficients, nuclear positions, and momenta. This approach does not impose the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, does not use potential energy surfaces, and takes into account electron-nuclear coupling. Basic conservation laws are fully obeyed. The simplest model of the theory employs a single determinantal state for the electrons and classical nuclei and is implemented in the computer code ENDyne. Results from this ab-initio theory are reported for ion-atom and ion-molecule collisions
Graph Theory Meets Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics: Atomic Structures and Transformations at the Nanoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrucci, Fabio; Andreoni, Wanda

2011-08-01

Social permutation invariant coordinates are introduced describing the bond network around a given atom. They originate from the largest eigenvalue and the corresponding eigenvector of the contact matrix, are invariant under permutation of identical atoms, and bear a clear signature of an order-disorder transition. Once combined with ab initio metadynamics, these coordinates are shown to be a powerful tool for the discovery of low-energy isomers of molecules and nanoclusters as well as for a blind exploration of isomerization, association, and dissociation reactions.
Ab initio and empirical studies on the asymmetry of molecular current-voltage characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoft, R C; Armstrong, N; Ford, M J; Cortie, M B

2007-01-01

We perform theoretical calculations of the tunnelling current through various small organic molecules sandwiched between gold electrodes by using both a tunnel barrier model and an ab initio transport code. The height of the tunnelling barrier is taken to be the work function of gold as modified by the adsorbed molecule and calculated from an ab initio electronic structure code. The current-voltage characteristics of these molecules are compared. Asymmetry is introduced into the system in two ways: an asymmetric molecule and a gap between the molecule and the right electrode. The latter is a realistic situation in scanning probe experiments. The asymmetry is also realized in the tunnel barrier model by two distinct work functions on the left and right electrodes. Significant asymmetry is observed in the ab initio i(V) curves. The tunnel barrier i(V) curves show much less pronounced asymmetry. The relative sizes of the currents through the molecules are compared. In addition, the performance of the WKB approximation is compared to the results obtained from the exact Schroedinger solution to the tunnelling barrier problem
Exploring Nuclear Photorelaxation of Pyranine in Aqueous Solution: an Integrated Ab-Initio Molecular Dynamics and Time Resolved Vibrational Analysis Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiariello, Maria Gabriella; Rega, Nadia

2018-03-22

Advances in time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy techniques provided a new stimulus for understanding the transient molecular dynamics triggered by the electronic excitation. The detailed interpretation of such time-dependent spectroscopic signals is a challenging task from both experimental and theoretical points of view. We simulated and analyzed the transient photorelaxation of the pyranine photoacid in aqueous solution, with special focus on structural parameters and low frequency skeleton modes that are possibly preparatory for the photoreaction occurring at later time, as suggested by experimental spectroscopic studies. To this aim, we adopted an accurate computational protocol that combines excited state ab initio molecular dynamics within an hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics framework and a time-resolved vibrational analysis based on the Wavelet transform. According to our results, the main nuclear relaxation on the excited potential energy surface is completed in about 500 fs, in agreement with experimental data. The rearrangement of C-C bonds occurs according to a complex vibrational dynamics, showing oscillatory patterns that are out of phase and modulated by modes below 200 cm -1 . We also analyzed in both the ground and the excited state the evolution of some structural parameters involved in excited state proton transfer reaction, namely, those involving the pyranine and the water molecule hydrogen bonded to the phenolic O-H group. Both the hydrogen bond distance and the intermolecular orientation are optimized in the excited state, resulting in a tighter proton donor-acceptor couple. Indeed, we found evidence that collective low frequency skeleton modes, such as the out of plane wagging at 108 cm -1 and the deformation at 280 cm -1 , are photoactivated by the ultrafast part of the relaxation and modulate the pyranine-water molecule rearrangement, favoring the preparatory step for the photoreactivity.
An ab initio molecular dynamics study of thermal decomposition of 3,6-di(azido)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Qiong; Zhu, Weihua; Xiao, Heming

2014-10-21

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the thermal decomposition of isolated and crystal 3,6-di(azido)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (DiAT). During unimolecular decomposition, the three different initiation mechanisms were observed to be N-N2 cleavage, ring opening, and isomerization, respectively. The preferential initial decomposition step is the homolysis of the N-N2 bond in the azido group. The release mechanisms of nitrogen gas are found to be very different in the early and later decomposition stages of crystal DiAT. In the early decomposition, DiAT decomposes very fast and drastically without forming any stable long-chains or heterocyclic clusters, and most of the nitrogen gases are released through rapid rupture of nitrogen-nitrogen and carbon-nitrogen bonds. But in the later decomposition stage, the release of nitrogen gas is inhibited due to low mobility, long distance from each other, and strong carbon-nitrogen bonds. To overcome the obstacles, the nitrogen gases are released through slow formation and disintegration of polycyclic networks. Our simulations suggest a new decomposition mechanism for the organic polyazido initial explosive at the atomistic level.
Molecular structure and interactions of nucleic acid components in nanoparticles: ab initio calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubin, Yu.V.; Belous, L.F.

2012-01-01

Self-associates of nucleic acid components (stacking trimers and tetramers of the base pairs of nucleic acids) and short fragments of nucleic acids are nanoparticles (linear sizes of these particles are more than 10 A). Modern quantum-mechanical methods and softwares allow one to perform ab initio calculations of the systems consisting of 150-200 atoms with enough large basis sets (for example, 6-31G * ). The aim of this work is to reveal the peculiarities of molecular and electronic structures, as well as the energy features of nanoparticles of nucleic acid components. We had carried out ab initio calculations of the molecular structure and interactions in the stacking dimer, trimer, and tetramer of nucleic base pairs and in the stacking (TpG)(ApC) dimer and (TpGpC) (ApCpG) trimer of nucleotides, which are small DNA fragments. The performed calculations of molecular structures of dimers and trimers of nucleotide pairs showed that the interplanar distance in the structures studied is equal to 3.2 A on average, and the helical angle in a trimer is approximately equal to 30 o : The distance between phosphor atoms in neighboring chains is 13.1 A. For dimers and trimers under study, we calculated the horizontal interaction energies. The analysis of interplanar distances and angles between nucleic bases and their pairs in the calculated short oligomers of nucleic acid base pairs (stacking dimer, trimer, and tetramer) has been carried out. Studies of interactions in the calculated short oligomers showed a considerable role of the cross interaction in the stabilization of the structures. The contribution of cross interactions to the horizontal interactions grows with the length of an oligomer. Nanoparticle components get electric charges in nanoparticles. Longwave low-intensity bands can appear in the electron spectra of nanoparticles.
Proton affinity of the histidine-tryptophan cluster motif from the influenza A virus from ab initio molecular dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bankura, Arindam; Klein, Michael L.; Carnevale, Vincenzo, E-mail: vincenzo.carnevale@temple.edu

2013-08-30

Highlights: • The estimated pK{sub a} is in agreement with the experimental one. • The affinity for protons is similar to that of a histidine residue in aqueous solution. • The electrostatic environment is responsible for the stabilization of the charged imidazolium moiety. - Abstract: Ab initio molecular dynamics calculations have been used to compare and contrast the deprotonation reaction of a histidine residue in aqueous solution with the situation arising in a histidine-tryptophan cluster. The latter is used as a model of the proton storage unit present in the pore of the M2 proton conducting ion channel. We compute potentials of mean force for the dissociation of a proton from the Nδ and N∊ positions of the imidazole group to estimate the pK{sub a}s. Anticipating our results, we will see that the estimated pK{sub a} for the first protonation event of the M2 channel is in good agreement with experimental estimates. Surprisingly, despite the fact that the histidine is partially desolvated in the M2 channel, the affinity for protons is similar to that of a histidine in aqueous solution. Importantly, the electrostatic environment provided by the indoles is responsible for the stabilization of the charged imidazolium.
Hydration and Ion Pairing in Aqueous Mg2+ and Zn2+ Solutions: Force-Field Description Aided by Neutron Scattering Experiments and Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Duboué-Dijon, Elise; Mason, Philip E; Fischer, Henry E; Jungwirth, Pavel

2018-04-05

Magnesium and zinc dications possess the same charge and have an almost identical size, yet they behave very differently in aqueous solutions and play distinct biological roles. It is thus crucial to identify the origins of such different behaviors and to assess to what extent they can be captured by force-field molecular dynamics simulations. In this work, we combine neutron scattering experiments in a specific mixture of H 2 O and D 2 O (the so-called null water) with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to probe the difference in the hydration structure and ion-pairing properties of chloride solutions of the two cations. The obtained data are used as a benchmark to develop a scaled-charge force field for Mg 2+ that includes electronic polarization in a mean field way. We show that using this electronic continuum correction we can describe aqueous magnesium chloride solutions well. However, in aqueous zinc chloride specific interaction terms between the ions need to be introduced to capture ion pairing quantitatively.
Modelling the local atomic structure of molybdenum in nuclear waste glasses with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Konstantinou, Konstantinos; Sushko, Peter V; Duffy, Dorothy M

2016-09-21

The nature of chemical bonding of molybdenum in high level nuclear waste glasses has been elucidated by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Two compositions, (SiO 2 ) 57.5 -(B 2 O 3 ) 10 -(Na 2 O) 15 -(CaO) 15 -(MoO 3 ) 2.5 and (SiO 2 ) 57.3 -(B 2 O 3 ) 20 -(Na 2 O) 6.8 -(Li 2 O) 13.4 -(MoO 3 ) 2.5 , were considered in order to investigate the effect of ionic and covalent components on the glass structure and the formation of the crystallisation precursors (Na 2 MoO 4 and CaMoO 4 ). The coordination environments of Mo cations and the corresponding bond lengths calculated from our model are in excellent agreement with experimental observations. The analysis of the first coordination shell reveals two different types of molybdenum host matrix bonds in the lithium sodium borosilicate glass. Based on the structural data and the bond valence model, we demonstrate that the Mo cation can be found in a redox state and the molybdate tetrahedron can be connected with the borosilicate network in a way that inhibits the formation of crystalline molybdates. These results significantly extend our understanding of bonding in Mo-containing nuclear waste glasses and demonstrate that tailoring the glass composition to specific heavy metal constituents can facilitate incorporation of heavy metals at high concentrations.

Ab initio model of porous periclase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drummond, Neil D.; Swift, Damian C.; Ackland, Graeme J.

2004-01-01

A two-phase equilibrium equation of state (EOS) for periclase (MgO) was constructed using ab initio quantum mechanics, including a rigorous calculation of quasiharmonic phonon modes. Much of the shock wave data reported for periclase is on porous material. We compared the theoretical EOS with porous data using a simple 'snowplough' treatment and also a model using finite equilibration rates suitable for continuum mechanics simulations. (This model has been applied previously to various heterogeneous explosives as well as other porous materials.) The results were consistent and matched the data well at pressures above the regime affected by strength - and ramp-wave formation - during compaction. Ab initio predictions of the response of porous material have been cited recently as a novel and advanced capability; we feel that this is a fairly routine extension to established ab initio techniques
Perspective: Ab initio force field methods derived from quantum mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Peng; Guidez, Emilie B.; Bertoni, Colleen; Gordon, Mark S.

2018-03-01

It is often desirable to accurately and efficiently model the behavior of large molecular systems in the condensed phase (thousands to tens of thousands of atoms) over long time scales (from nanoseconds to milliseconds). In these cases, ab initio methods are difficult due to the increasing computational cost with the number of electrons. A more computationally attractive alternative is to perform the simulations at the atomic level using a parameterized function to model the electronic energy. Many empirical force fields have been developed for this purpose. However, the functions that are used to model interatomic and intermolecular interactions contain many fitted parameters obtained from selected model systems, and such classical force fields cannot properly simulate important electronic effects. Furthermore, while such force fields are computationally affordable, they are not reliable when applied to systems that differ significantly from those used in their parameterization. They also cannot provide the information necessary to analyze the interactions that occur in the system, making the systematic improvement of the functional forms that are used difficult. Ab initio force field methods aim to combine the merits of both types of methods. The ideal ab initio force fields are built on first principles and require no fitted parameters. Ab initio force field methods surveyed in this perspective are based on fragmentation approaches and intermolecular perturbation theory. This perspective summarizes their theoretical foundation, key components in their formulation, and discusses key aspects of these methods such as accuracy and formal computational cost. The ab initio force fields considered here were developed for different targets, and this perspective also aims to provide a balanced presentation of their strengths and shortcomings. Finally, this perspective suggests some future directions for this actively developing area.
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations on the structural change of liquid eutectic alloy Si{sub 15}Te{sub 85} from 673 to 1373 k

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Yubing, E-mail: ybwang1985@gmail.co [Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Post Office 1129, Hefei 230031 (China); Zhao Gang [Department of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Ludong University, Hongqi Road, No. 186, Yantai 264025 (China); Liu Changsong; Zhu Zhengang [Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Post Office 1129, Hefei 230031 (China)

2010-01-15

Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and inherent structure formalism, the local atomic structure and electronic properties of liquid Si{sub 15}Te{sub 85} alloy were studied at eight different temperatures from 673 to 1373 K. In comparison with available experimental data, our calculated structure factors are acceptable. With increasing temperature from 773 to 1173 K, the calculated total coordination number N{sub Total} increases gradually in contrast to the behavior of a classical isotropic fluid. Our results of pair-correlation functions, bond-angle distribution functions and angular limited triplet correlation functions suggest that the temperature-dependence of the preserved sp{sup 3} hybridization of Si atoms and Peierls-type distorted local structure around Te atoms both play important roles in the structural change of Si{sub 15}Te{sub 85} characterized by thermodynamic anomalies.
Efficient approach to compute melting properties fully from ab initio with application to Cu

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Li-Fang; Grabowski, Blazej; Neugebauer, Jörg

2017-12-01

Applying thermodynamic integration within an ab initio-based free-energy approach is a state-of-the-art method to calculate melting points of materials. However, the high computational cost and the reliance on a good reference system for calculating the liquid free energy have so far hindered a general application. To overcome these challenges, we propose the two-optimized references thermodynamic integration using Langevin dynamics (TOR-TILD) method in this work by extending the two-stage upsampled thermodynamic integration using Langevin dynamics (TU-TILD) method, which has been originally developed to obtain anharmonic free energies of solids, to the calculation of liquid free energies. The core idea of TOR-TILD is to fit two empirical potentials to the energies from density functional theory based molecular dynamics runs for the solid and the liquid phase and to use these potentials as reference systems for thermodynamic integration. Because the empirical potentials closely reproduce the ab initio system in the relevant part of the phase space the convergence of the thermodynamic integration is very rapid. Therefore, the proposed approach improves significantly the computational efficiency while preserving the required accuracy. As a test case, we apply TOR-TILD to fcc Cu computing not only the melting point but various other melting properties, such as the entropy and enthalpy of fusion and the volume change upon melting. The generalized gradient approximation (GGA) with the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) exchange-correlation functional and the local-density approximation (LDA) are used. Using both functionals gives a reliable ab initio confidence interval for the melting point, the enthalpy of fusion, and entropy of fusion.
Increasing the efficiency and accuracy of time-resolved electronic spectra calculations with on-the-fly ab initio quantum dynamics methods

Science.gov (United States)

Vanicek, Jiri

2014-03-01

Rigorous quantum-mechanical calculations of coherent ultrafast electronic spectra remain difficult. I will present several approaches developed in our group that increase the efficiency and accuracy of such calculations: First, we justified the feasibility of evaluating time-resolved spectra of large systems by proving that the number of trajectories needed for convergence of the semiclassical dephasing representation/phase averaging is independent of dimensionality. Recently, we further accelerated this approximation with a cellular scheme employing inverse Weierstrass transform and optimal scaling of the cell size. The accuracy of potential energy surfaces was increased by combining the dephasing representation with accurate on-the-fly ab initio electronic structure calculations, including nonadiabatic and spin-orbit couplings. Finally, the inherent semiclassical approximation was removed in the exact quantum Gaussian dephasing representation, in which semiclassical trajectories are replaced by communicating frozen Gaussian basis functions evolving classically with an average Hamiltonian. Among other examples I will present an on-the-fly ab initio semiclassical dynamics calculation of the dispersed time-resolved stimulated emission spectrum of the 54-dimensional azulene. This research was supported by EPFL and by the Swiss National Science Foundation NCCR MUST (Molecular Ultrafast Science and Technology) and Grant No. 200021124936/1.
Ab initio derivation of model energy density functionals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobaczewski, Jacek

2016-01-01

I propose a simple and manageable method that allows for deriving coupling constants of model energy density functionals (EDFs) directly from ab initio calculations performed for finite fermion systems. A proof-of-principle application allows for linking properties of finite nuclei, determined by using the nuclear nonlocal Gogny functional, to the coupling constants of the quasilocal Skyrme functional. The method does not rely on properties of infinite fermion systems but on the ab initio calculations in finite systems. It also allows for quantifying merits of different model EDFs in describing the ab initio results. (letter)
Ab initio molecular dynamics study of pressure-induced phase transition in ZnS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, Israel; Durandurdu, Murat

2006-01-01

The pressure-induced phase transition in zinc sulfide is studied using a constant-pressure ab initio technique. The reversible phase transition from the zinc-blende structure to a rock-salt structure is successfully reproduced through the simulations. The transformation mechanism at the atomistic level is characterized and found to be due to a monoclinic modification of the simulation cell, similar to that obtained in SiC. This observation supports the universal transition state of high-pressure zinc-blende to rock-salt transition in semiconductor compounds. We also study the role of stress deviations on the transformation mechanism and find that the system follows the same transition pathway under nonhydrostatic compressions as well
Phonocatalysis. An ab initio simulation experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kwangnam Kim

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Using simulations, we postulate and show that heterocatalysis on large-bandgap semiconductors can be controlled by substrate phonons, i.e., phonocatalysis. With ab initio calculations, including molecular dynamic simulations, the chemisorbed dissociation of XeF6 on h-BN surface leads to formation of XeF4 and two surface F/h-BN bonds. The reaction pathway and energies are evaluated, and the sorption and reaction emitted/absorbed phonons are identified through spectral analysis of the surface atomic motion. Due to large bandgap, the atomic vibration (phonon energy transfer channels dominate and among them is the match between the F/h-BN covalent bond stretching and the optical phonons. We show that the chemisorbed dissociation (the pathway activation ascent requires absorption of large-energy optical phonons. Then using progressively heavier isotopes of B and N atoms, we show that limiting these high-energy optical phonons inhibits the chemisorbed dissociation, i.e., controllable phonocatalysis.
An ab initio study of the structure and dynamics of bulk liquid Cd and its liquid-vapor interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calderín, L; González, L E; González, D J

2013-01-01

Several static and dynamic properties of bulk liquid Cd at a thermodynamic state near its triple point have been calculated by means of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The calculated static structure shows a very good agreement with the available experimental data. The dynamical structure reveals collective density excitations with an associated dispersion relation which points to a small positive dispersion. Results are also reported for several transport coefficients. Additional simulations have also been performed at a slightly higher temperature in order to study the structure of the free liquid surface. The ionic density profile shows an oscillatory behavior with two different wavelengths, as the spacing between the outer and first inner layer is different from that between the other inner layers. The calculated reflectivity shows a marked maximum whose origin is related to the surface layering, along with a shoulder located at a much smaller wavevector transfer.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations with Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics and Adaptive Neural Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Lin; Yang, Weitao

2018-03-13

Direct molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with ab initio quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) methods is very powerful for studying the mechanism of chemical reactions in a complex environment but also very time-consuming. The computational cost of QM/MM calculations during MD simulations can be reduced significantly using semiempirical QM/MM methods with lower accuracy. To achieve higher accuracy at the ab initio QM/MM level, a correction on the existing semiempirical QM/MM model is an attractive idea. Recently, we reported a neural network (NN) method as QM/MM-NN to predict the potential energy difference between semiempirical and ab initio QM/MM approaches. The high-level results can be obtained using neural network based on semiempirical QM/MM MD simulations, but the lack of direct MD samplings at the ab initio QM/MM level is still a deficiency that limits the applications of QM/MM-NN. In the present paper, we developed a dynamic scheme of QM/MM-NN for direct MD simulations on the NN-predicted potential energy surface to approximate ab initio QM/MM MD. Since some configurations excluded from the database for NN training were encountered during simulations, which may cause some difficulties on MD samplings, an adaptive procedure inspired by the selection scheme reported by Behler [ Behler Int. J. Quantum Chem. 2015 , 115 , 1032 ; Behler Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2017 , 56 , 12828 ] was employed with some adaptions to update NN and carry out MD iteratively. We further applied the adaptive QM/MM-NN MD method to the free energy calculation and transition path optimization on chemical reactions in water. The results at the ab initio QM/MM level can be well reproduced using this method after 2-4 iteration cycles. The saving in computational cost is about 2 orders of magnitude. It demonstrates that the QM/MM-NN with direct MD simulations has great potentials not only for the calculation of thermodynamic properties but also for the characterization of
Ab initio calculation of the shear viscosity of neon in the liquid and hypercritical state over a wide pressure and temperature range

Science.gov (United States)

Eggenberger, Rolf; Gerber, Stefan; Huber, Hanspeter; Searles, Debra; Welker, Marc

1992-08-01

The shear viscosity is calculated ab initio for the liquid and hypercritical state, i.e. a previously published potential for Ne 2, obtained from ab initio calculations including electron correlation, is used in classical equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to obtain the shear viscosity from a Green-Kubo integral. The quality of the results is quite uniform over a large pressure range up to 1000 MPa and a wide temperature range from 26 to 600 K. In most cases the calculated shear viscosity deviates by less than 10% from the experimental value, in general the error being only a few percent.
Ab initio I-V characteristics of short C-20 chains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roland, C.; Larade, B.; Taylor, Jeremy Philip

2002-01-01

We have calculated the I-V characteristics of short chains of C-20 molecular cages between Al and Au leads with an ab initio formalism. The results indicate that a linear chain of such molecules acts primarily as metallic nanowires. The transmission, however, depends sensitively both...
Molecular dynamics simulation, ab initio calculation, and size-selected anion photoelectron spectroscopy study of initial hydration processes of calcium chloride.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhili; Feng, Gang; Yang, Bin; Yang, Lijiang; Liu, Cheng-Wen; Xu, Hong-Guang; Xu, Xi-Ling; Zheng, Wei-Jun; Gao, Yi Qin

2018-06-14

To understand the initial hydration processes of CaCl 2 , we performed molecular simulations employing the force field based on the theory of electronic continuum correction with rescaling. Integrated tempering sampling molecular dynamics were combined with ab initio calculations to overcome the sampling challenge in cluster structure search and refinement. The calculated vertical detachment energies of CaCl 2 (H 2 O) n - (n = 0-8) were compared with the values obtained from photoelectron spectra, and consistency was found between the experiment and computation. Separation of the Cl-Ca ion pair is investigated in CaCl 2 (H 2 O) n - anions, where the first Ca-Cl ionic bond required 4 water molecules, and both Ca-Cl bonds are broken when the number of water molecules is larger than 7. For neutral CaCl 2 (H 2 O) n clusters, breaking of the first Ca-Cl bond starts at n = 5, and 8 water molecules are not enough to separate the two ion pairs. Comparing with the observations on magnesium chloride, it shows that separating one ion pair in CaCl 2 (H 2 O) n requires fewer water molecules than those for MgCl 2 (H 2 O) n . Coincidentally, the solubility of calcium chloride is higher than that of magnesium chloride in bulk solutions.
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of the effects of stacking faults on the radiation response of 3C-SiC.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, M; Peng, S M; Zhang, H B; Xu, C H; Xiao, H Y; Zhao, F A; Liu, Z J; Zu, X T

2016-02-16

In this study, an ab initio molecular dynamics method is employed to investigate how the existence of stacking faults (SFs) influences the response of SiC to low energy irradiation. It reveals that the C and Si atoms around the SFs are generally more difficult to be displaced than those in unfaulted SiC, and the corresponding threshold displacement energies for them are generally larger, indicative of enhanced radiation tolerance caused by the introduction of SFs, which agrees well with the recent experiment. As compared with the unfaulted state, more localized point defects are generated in faulted SiC. Also, the efficiency of damage production for Si recoils is generally higher than that of C recoils. The calculated potential energy increases for defect generation in SiC with intrinsic and extrinsic SFs are found to be higher than those in unfaulted SiC, due to the stronger screen-Coulomb interaction between the PKA and its neighbors. The presented results provide a fundamental insight into the underlying mechanism of displacement events in faulted SiC and will help to advance the understanding of the radiation response of SiC with and without SFs.
Mechanical properties of carbynes investigated by ab initio total-energy calculations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Castelli, Ivano E.; Salvestrini, Paolo; Manini, Nicola

2012-01-01

As sp carbon chains (carbynes) are relatively rigid molecular objects, can we exploit them as construction elements in nanomechanics? To answer this question, we investigate their remarkable mechanical properties by ab initio total-energy simulations. In particular, we evaluate their linear...
The Properties of Some Simple Covalent Hydrides: An Ab Initio ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Some properties of the monomeric binary hydrides of the elements of the first two rows of the periodic table have been determined using ab initio molecular orbital theory. The properties in question are the energetic, structural, electronic, topological and vibrational characteristics. In general, a gradual convergence towards ...
Effect of solute atoms on glass-forming ability for Fe–Y–B alloy: An ab initio molecular dynamics study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, J.J.; Wang, W.Y.; Liu, X.J.; Wang, C.P.; Hui, X.D.; Liu, Z.K.

2014-01-01

The glass-forming abilities of Fe 78 B 22 , Fe 70 Y 6 B 24 , Fe 72 Y 6 B 22 and Fe 72.5 Y 3.5 B 24 alloys were characterized comprehensively using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The calculated results were correlated with the properties and atomic structures. It was found that the Fe 72 Y 6 B 22 alloy consists of both the most stable and the least deformed body centered cubic atomic packing structures in the supercooled liquid and glassy states. It was observed that the local compositions in the Fe 72 Y 6 B 22 alloy significantly deviate from the compositions of stable crystalline phases, indicating that the Fe 72 Y 6 B 22 alloy has the best glass-forming ability among the alloys studied. However, Fe 72 Y 6 B 22 alloy has two flaws in terms of glass-forming ability, i.e. relatively large atomic diffusivity and insufficiently close atomic packing. The best performance in these two aspects is observed in the Fe 72.5 Y 3.5 B 24 alloy. Thus, the theoretical study predicts that the best glass former for the Fe–Y–B system is within the compositional range of 22–24 at.% B and 3.5–6 at.% Y
Study on Exploration of Azeotropic Point of Pb-Sb Alloys by Vacuum Distillation and Ab Initio Molecular Dynamic Simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Bingyi; Jiang, Wenlong; Yang, Bin; Chen, Xiumin; Xu, Baoqiang; Kong, Lingxin; Liu, Dachun; Dai, Yongnian

2016-10-01

The possibility of the separation of Pb-Sb alloys by vacuum distillation was investigated theoretically. The results show that Pb and Sb can be separated by vacuum distillation. However, the experimental results show that vacuum distillation technique does not provide clear separation. According to the literature, Pb-Sb alloys belong to azeotropic compounds under some certain temperature; the experiment and computer simulation were carried out based on the exceptional condition so as to analyze the reason from the experiment and microstructure of Pb-Sb alloys perspective. The separation of Pb-Sb alloys by vacuum distillation was experimentally carried out to probe the azeotropic point. Also, the functions, such as partial radial distributions functions, the structure factor, mean square displacement, and the density of state, were calculated by ab-initio molecular dynamics for the representation of the structure and properties of Pb-Sb alloys with different composition of Sb. The experimental results indicate that there exists common volatilization for Pb-Sb alloys when Sb content is 16.5 wt pct. On the other hand, the calculation results show that there is an intense interaction between Pb and Sb when Sb content is 22 wt pct, which supports the experimental results although Sb content is slightly deviation.
Hexamethylcyclopentadiene: time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio multiple spawning simulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wolf, T. J. A.; Kuhlman, Thomas Scheby; Schalk, O.

2014-01-01

comparing time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (TRPES) with ab initio multiple spawning (AIMS) simulations on the MS-MR-CASPT2 level of theory. We disentangle the relationship between two phenomena that dominate the immediate molecular response upon light absorption: a spectrally dependent delay...
From empirical to ab initio: transferable potentials in the atomistic simulation of amorphous carbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marks, N.A.; Goringe, C.M.; McKenzie, D.R.; McCulloch, D.G.; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Melbourne, VIC

2000-01-01

Full text: Silicon is often described as the prototype covalent material, and when it comes to developing atomistic models this situation is well described by the sentiment that 'everything works for silicon'. The same cannot be said for carbon though, where the interaction potential has always proved problematical, be it with empirical, tight-binding or ab initio methods. Thus far the most decisive contributions to understanding amorphous carbon networks have come from ab initio simulations using the Car-Parrinello method, where the fully quantum treatment of the valence electrons has provided unexpected insight into the local structure. However such first principles calculations are restricted spatially and temporally to systems with approximately 100 atoms and times of order one picosecond. There is therefore demand for less expensive techniques capable of resolving important questions whose solution can only to found with larger simulations running for longer times. In the case of tetrahedral amorphous carbon, such issues include the release of compressive stress through annealing, the origin of graphitic surface layers and the nature of the film growth process and thermal spike. Against this background tight-binding molecular dynamics has emerged as a popular alternative to first principles methods, and our group has an ongoing program to understand film growth using one of the efficient variants of tight-binding. Another direction of research is a new empirical potential based on the Environment Dependent Interaction Potential (EDIP) recently developed for silicon. The EDIP approach represents a promising direction for empirical potentials through its use of ab initio data to motivate the functional form as well as the more conventional parametrisation. By inverting ab initio cohesive energy curves the authors of EDIP arrived at a pair potential expression which reduces to the well-known Stillinger-Weber form at integer coordination, while providing

Electronic transport coefficients from ab initio simulations and application to dense liquid hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holst, Bastian; French, Martin; Redmer, Ronald

2011-01-01

Using Kubo's linear response theory, we derive expressions for the frequency-dependent electrical conductivity (Kubo-Greenwood formula), thermopower, and thermal conductivity in a strongly correlated electron system. These are evaluated within ab initio molecular dynamics simulations in order to study the thermoelectric transport coefficients in dense liquid hydrogen, especially near the nonmetal-to-metal transition region. We also observe significant deviations from the widely used Wiedemann-Franz law, which is strictly valid only for degenerate systems, and give an estimate for its valid scope of application toward lower densities.
Ab initio study of hot electrons in GaAs

OpenAIRE

Bernardi, Marco; Vigil-Fowler, Derek; Ong, Chin Shen; Neaton, Jeffrey B.; Louie, Steven G.

2015-01-01

Hot carrier dynamics critically impacts the performance of electronic, optoelectronic, photovoltaic, and plasmonic devices. Hot carriers lose energy over nanometer lengths and picosecond timescales and thus are challenging to study experimentally, whereas calculations of hot carrier dynamics are cumbersome and dominated by empirical approaches. In this work, we present ab initio calculations of hot electrons in gallium arsenide (GaAs) using density functional theory and many-body perturbation...
Ab initio and Gordon--Kim intermolecular potentials for two nitrogen molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ree, F.H.; Winter, N.W.

1980-01-01

Both ab initio MO--LCAO--SCF and the electron-gas (or Gordon--Kim) methods have been used to compute the intermolecular potential (Phi) of N 2 molecules for seven different N 2 --N 2 orientations. The ab initio calculations were carried out using a [4s3p] contracted Gaussian basis set with and without 3d polarization functions. The larger basis set provides adequate results for Phi>0.002 hartree or intermolecular separations less than 6.5--7 bohr. We use a convenient analytic expression to represent the ab initio data in terms of the intermolecular distance and three angles defining the orientations of the two N 2 molecules. The Gordon--Kim method with Rae's self-exchange correction yields Phi, which agrees reasonably well over a large repulsive range. However, a detailed comparison of the electron kinetic energy contributions shows a large difference between the ab initio and the Gordon--Kim calculations. Using the ab initio data we derive an atom--atom potential of the two N 2 molecules. Although this expression does not accurately fit the data at some orientations, its spherical average agrees with the corresponding average of the ab initio Phi remarkably well. The spherically averaged ab initio Phi is also compared with the corresponding quantities derived from experimental considerations. The approach of the ab initio Phi to the classical quadrupole--quadrupole interaction at large intermolecular separation is also discussed
Raman spectroscopy, ab-initio model calculations, and conformational, equilibria in ionic liquids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Rolf W.

2009-01-01

spectroscopy and ab-initio molecular orbital calculations. A discussion is given, based mainly on some recent FT- Raman spectroscopic results on the model ionic liquid system of 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium ([C4C1Im]+X-) salts. The rotational isomerism of the [C4C1Im]+ cation is described: the presence of anti.......3 Brief introduction to ab-initio model calculations .... 312 12.4 Case study on Raman spectroscopy and structure of imidazolium-based ionic liquids ..... 312 12.5 Raman spectra and structure of [C4C1Im]+ liquids ..... 315 12.6 Normal mode analysis and rotational isomerism of the [C4C1Im]+ cation...
Quantum calculations of the IR spectrum of liquid water using ab initio and model potential and dipole moment surfaces and comparison with experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Hanchao; Wang, Yimin; Bowman, Joel M. [Cherry L. Emerson Center for Scientific Computation and Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 (United States)

2015-05-21

The calculation and characterization of the IR spectrum of liquid water have remained a challenge for theory. In this paper, we address this challenge using a combination of ab initio approaches, namely, a quantum treatment of IR spectrum using the ab initio WHBB water potential energy surface and a refined ab initio dipole moment surface. The quantum treatment is based on the embedded local monomer method, in which the three intramolecular modes of each embedded H{sub 2}O monomer are fully coupled and also coupled singly to each of six intermolecular modes. The new dipole moment surface consists of a previous spectroscopically accurate 1-body dipole moment surface and a newly fitted ab initio intrinsic 2-body dipole moment. A detailed analysis of the new dipole moment surface in terms of the coordinate dependence of the effective atomic charges is done along with tests of it for the water dimer and prism hexamer double-harmonic spectra against direct ab initio calculations. The liquid configurations are taken from previous molecular dynamics calculations of Skinner and co-workers, using the TIP4P plus E3B rigid monomer water potential. The IR spectrum of water at 300 K in the range of 0–4000 cm{sup −1} is calculated and compared with experiment, using the ab initio WHBB potential and new ab initio dipole moment, the q-TIP4P/F potential, which has a fixed-charged description of the dipole moment, and the TTM3-F potential and dipole moment surfaces. The newly calculated ab initio spectrum is in very good agreement with experiment throughout the above spectral range, both in band positions and intensities. This contrasts to results with the other potentials and dipole moments, especially the fixed-charge q-TIP4P/F model, which gives unrealistic intensities. The calculated ab initio spectrum is analyzed by examining the contribution of various transitions to each band.
Quantum calculations of the IR spectrum of liquid water using ab initio and model potential and dipole moment surfaces and comparison with experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Hanchao; Wang, Yimin; Bowman, Joel M.

2015-01-01

The calculation and characterization of the IR spectrum of liquid water have remained a challenge for theory. In this paper, we address this challenge using a combination of ab initio approaches, namely, a quantum treatment of IR spectrum using the ab initio WHBB water potential energy surface and a refined ab initio dipole moment surface. The quantum treatment is based on the embedded local monomer method, in which the three intramolecular modes of each embedded H 2 O monomer are fully coupled and also coupled singly to each of six intermolecular modes. The new dipole moment surface consists of a previous spectroscopically accurate 1-body dipole moment surface and a newly fitted ab initio intrinsic 2-body dipole moment. A detailed analysis of the new dipole moment surface in terms of the coordinate dependence of the effective atomic charges is done along with tests of it for the water dimer and prism hexamer double-harmonic spectra against direct ab initio calculations. The liquid configurations are taken from previous molecular dynamics calculations of Skinner and co-workers, using the TIP4P plus E3B rigid monomer water potential. The IR spectrum of water at 300 K in the range of 0–4000 cm −1 is calculated and compared with experiment, using the ab initio WHBB potential and new ab initio dipole moment, the q-TIP4P/F potential, which has a fixed-charged description of the dipole moment, and the TTM3-F potential and dipole moment surfaces. The newly calculated ab initio spectrum is in very good agreement with experiment throughout the above spectral range, both in band positions and intensities. This contrasts to results with the other potentials and dipole moments, especially the fixed-charge q-TIP4P/F model, which gives unrealistic intensities. The calculated ab initio spectrum is analyzed by examining the contribution of various transitions to each band
Dominant Modes in Light Nuclei - Ab Initio View of Emergent Symmetries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Draayer, J P; Dytrych, T; Launey, K D; Dreyfuss, A C; Langr, D

2015-01-01

An innovative symmetry-guided concept is discussed with a focus on emergent symmetry patterns in complex nuclei. In particular, the ab initio symmetry-adapted no-core shell model (SA-NCSM), which capitalizes on exact as well as partial symmetries that underpin the structure of nuclei, provides remarkable insight into how simple symmetry patterns emerge in the many-body nuclear dynamics from first principles. This ab initio view is complemented by a fully microscopic no-core symplectic shell-model framework (NCSpM), which, in turn, informs key features of the primary physics responsible for the emergent phenomena of large deformation and alpha-cluster substructures in studies of the challenging Hoyle state in Carbon-12 and enhanced collectivity in intermediate-mass nuclei. Furthermore, by recognizing that deformed configurations often dominate the low-energy regime, the SA-NCSM provides a strategy for determining the nature of bound states of nuclei in terms of a relatively small subspace of the symmetry-reorganized complete model space, which opens new domains of nuclei for ab initio investigations, namely, the intermediate-mass region, including isotopes of Ne, Mg, and Si
Raman Spectroscopy and Ab-Initio Model Calculations on Ionic Liquids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Rolf W.

2007-01-01

spectroscopy and ab-initio molecular orbital calculations. A discussion is given, based mainly on some recent FT-Raman spectroscopic results on the model ionic liquid system of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([C4mim][X]) salts. The rotational isomerism of the [C4mim]þ cation is described: the presence of anti...
Tunneling of electrons via rotor–stator molecular interfaces: Combined ab initio and model study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petreska, Irina, E-mail: irina.petreska@pmf.ukim.mk [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, PO Box 162, 1000 Skopje, Former Yugolav Republic of Macedonia, The (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Ohanesjan, Vladimir [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, PO Box 162, 1000 Skopje, Former Yugolav Republic of Macedonia, The (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Pejov, Ljupčo [Institute of Chemistry, Department of Physical Chemistry, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Arhimedova 5, P.O. Box 162, 1000 Skopje, Former Yugolav Republic of Macedonia, The (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Kocarev, Ljupčo [Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Krste Misirkov 2, PO Box 428, 1000 Skopje, Former Yugolav Republic of Macedonia, The (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Former Yugolav Republic of Macedonia, The (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of)

2016-07-01

Tunneling of electrons through rotor–stator anthracene aldehyde molecular interfaces is studied with a combined ab initio and model approach. Molecular electronic structure calculated from first principles is utilized to model different shapes of tunneling barriers. Together with a rectangular barrier, we also consider a sinusoidal shape that captures the effects of the molecular internal structure more realistically. Quasiclassical approach with the Simmons’ formula for current density is implemented. Special attention is paid on conformational dependence of the tunneling current. Our results confirm that the presence of the side aldehyde group enhances the interesting electronic properties of the pure anthracene molecule, making it a bistable system with geometry dependent transport properties. We also investigate the transition voltage and we show that conformation-dependent field emission could be observed in these molecular interfaces at realistically low voltages. The present study accompanies our previous work where we investigated the coherent transport via strongly coupled delocalized orbital by application of Non-equilibrium Green’s Function Formalism.
Ab initio theory of charge-carrier conduction in ultrapure organic crystals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hannewald, K.; Bobbert, P.A.

2004-01-01

We present an ab initio description of charge-carrier mobilities in organic molecular crystals of high purity. Our approach is based on Holstein's original concept of small-polaron bands but generalized with respect to the inclusion of nonlocal electron-phonon coupling. By means of an explicit
Residue contacts predicted by evolutionary covariance extend the application of ab initio molecular replacement to larger and more challenging protein folds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felix Simkovic

2016-07-01

Full Text Available For many protein families, the deluge of new sequence information together with new statistical protocols now allow the accurate prediction of contacting residues from sequence information alone. This offers the possibility of more accurate ab initio (non-homology-based structure prediction. Such models can be used in structure solution by molecular replacement (MR where the target fold is novel or is only distantly related to known structures. Here, AMPLE, an MR pipeline that assembles search-model ensembles from ab initio structure predictions (`decoys', is employed to assess the value of contact-assisted ab initio models to the crystallographer. It is demonstrated that evolutionary covariance-derived residue–residue contact predictions improve the quality of ab initio models and, consequently, the success rate of MR using search models derived from them. For targets containing β-structure, decoy quality and MR performance were further improved by the use of a β-strand contact-filtering protocol. Such contact-guided decoys achieved 14 structure solutions from 21 attempted protein targets, compared with nine for simple Rosetta decoys. Previously encountered limitations were superseded in two key respects. Firstly, much larger targets of up to 221 residues in length were solved, which is far larger than the previously benchmarked threshold of 120 residues. Secondly, contact-guided decoys significantly improved success with β-sheet-rich proteins. Overall, the improved performance of contact-guided decoys suggests that MR is now applicable to a significantly wider range of protein targets than were previously tractable, and points to a direct benefit to structural biology from the recent remarkable advances in sequencing.
Semiempirical and ab initio calculations versus dynamic NMR on conformational analysis of cyclohexyl-N,N-dimethylcarbamate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Basso Ernani A.

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Axial-equatorial conformational proportions for cyclohexyl-N,N-dimethyl carbamate have been measured, for the first time, by the Eliel method, ¹H and 13C dynamic nuclear magnetic resonance (DNMR. The results were compared against those determined by theoretical calculations. By the Eliel method at least five experimentally independent measureables were used in CCl4, CDCl3 and CD3CN. The ¹H and 13C low temperature experiments were performed in CF2Br2/CD2Cl2 . Semiempirical methods MNDO, AM1 and PM3 and ab initio molecular orbital calculations at the HF/STO-3G and HF/6-31G(d,p levels have been performed on the axial and equatorial conformers populations. All applied methods correctly predict the equatorial conformer preference over the axial one. The resulting equatorial preferences determined by NMR data and theoretical calculations are in good agreement.
Experimental and ab initio investigations on textured Li–Mn–O spinel thin film cathodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischer, J., E-mail: Julian.Fischer@kit.edu [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Materials (IAM), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Music, D. [RWTH Aachen University, Materials Chemistry, Kopernikusstrasse 10, 52074 Aachen (Germany); Bergfeldt, T.; Ziebert, C.; Ulrich, S.; Seifert, H.J. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Materials (IAM), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2014-12-01

This paper describes the tailored preparation of nearly identical lithium–manganese–oxide thin film cathodes with different global grain orientations. The thin films were synthesized by rf magnetron sputtering from a LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4}-target in a pure argon plasma. Under appropriate processing conditions, thin films with a cubic spinel structure and a nearly similar density and surface topography but different grain orientation, i.e. (111)- and (440)-textured films, were achieved. The chemical composition was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and carrier gas hot extraction. The constitution- and microstructure were evaluated by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The surface morphology and roughness were investigated by scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. The differently textured films represent an ideal model system for studying potential effects of grain orientation on the lithium ion diffusion and electrochemical behavior in LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4}-based thin films. They are nearly identical in their chemical composition, atomic bonding behavior, surface-roughness, morphology and thickness. Our initial ab initio molecular dynamics data indicate that Li ion transport is faster in (111)-textured structure than in (440)-textured one. - Highlights: • Thin film model system of differently textured cubic Li–Mn–O spinels. • Investigation of the Li–Mn–O thin film mass density by X-ray reflectivity. • Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation on Li ion diffusion in LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4}.
Experimental and ab initio investigations on textured Li–Mn–O spinel thin film cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, J.; Music, D.; Bergfeldt, T.; Ziebert, C.; Ulrich, S.; Seifert, H.J.

2014-01-01

This paper describes the tailored preparation of nearly identical lithium–manganese–oxide thin film cathodes with different global grain orientations. The thin films were synthesized by rf magnetron sputtering from a LiMn 2 O 4 -target in a pure argon plasma. Under appropriate processing conditions, thin films with a cubic spinel structure and a nearly similar density and surface topography but different grain orientation, i.e. (111)- and (440)-textured films, were achieved. The chemical composition was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and carrier gas hot extraction. The constitution- and microstructure were evaluated by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The surface morphology and roughness were investigated by scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. The differently textured films represent an ideal model system for studying potential effects of grain orientation on the lithium ion diffusion and electrochemical behavior in LiMn 2 O 4 -based thin films. They are nearly identical in their chemical composition, atomic bonding behavior, surface-roughness, morphology and thickness. Our initial ab initio molecular dynamics data indicate that Li ion transport is faster in (111)-textured structure than in (440)-textured one. - Highlights: • Thin film model system of differently textured cubic Li–Mn–O spinels. • Investigation of the Li–Mn–O thin film mass density by X-ray reflectivity. • Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation on Li ion diffusion in LiMn 2 O 4
Cost-Effective Method for Free-Energy Minimization in Complex Systems with Elaborated Ab Initio Potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Bistafa, Carlos; Kitamura, Yukichi; Martins-Costa, Marilia T C; Nagaoka, Masataka; Ruiz-López, Manuel F

2018-05-22

We describe a method to locate stationary points in the free-energy hypersurface of complex molecular systems using high-level correlated ab initio potentials. In this work, we assume a combined QM/MM description of the system although generalization to full ab initio potentials or other theoretical schemes is straightforward. The free-energy gradient (FEG) is obtained as the mean force acting on relevant nuclei using a dual level strategy. First, a statistical simulation is carried out using an appropriate, low-level quantum mechanical force-field. Free-energy perturbation (FEP) theory is then used to obtain the free-energy derivatives for the target, high-level quantum mechanical force-field. We show that this composite FEG-FEP approach is able to reproduce the results of a standard free-energy minimization procedure with high accuracy, while simultaneously allowing for a drastic reduction of both computational and wall-clock time. The method has been applied to study the structure of the water molecule in liquid water at the QCISD/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory, using the sampling from QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level. The obtained values for the geometrical parameters and for the dipole moment of the water molecule are within the experimental error, and they also display an excellent agreement when compared to other theoretical estimations. The developed methodology represents therefore an important step toward the accurate determination of the mechanism, kinetics, and thermodynamic properties of processes in solution, in enzymes, and in other disordered chemical systems using state-of-the-art ab initio potentials.
Ab-initio ZORA calculations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Faas, S.; Snijders, Jaap; van Lenthe, J.H.; HernandezLaguna, A; Maruani, J; McWeeny, R; Wilson, S

2000-01-01

In this paper we present the first application of the ZORA (Zeroth Order Regular Approximation of the Dirac Fock equation) formalism in Ab Initio electronic structure calculations. The ZORA method, which has been tested previously in the context of Density Functional Theory, has been implemented in
Ab initio interaction potentials for X and B excited states of He-I2 for studying dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prosmiti, Rita; Garcia-Gutierrez, Leonor; Delgado-Tellez, Laura; Valdes, Alvaro; Villarreal, Pablo; Delgado-Barrio, Gerardo

2009-01-01

Ab initio CCSD(T) and MRCI approaches were employed to construct potential energy surfaces of the ground and the B electronic excited states of He-I 2 complex, while full quantum mechanical methods were applied to study its spectroscopy and dynamics. A description of the approach adopted, together with the results obtained and their comparison with recent experimental data, as well as further improvements are presented.
Solid-State Polymerization of Acetylene under Pressure: {ital Ab Initio} Simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernasconi, M.; Parrinello, M. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Heisenbergstr.1, D-70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Bernasconi, M. [Istituto Nazionale Fisica della Materia and Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano (Italy); Chiarotti, G.; Focher, P.; Tosatti, E. [Istituto Nazionale Fisica della Materia and International School for Advanced Studies, Via Beirut 4, I-34014 Trieste (Italy); Tosatti, E. [International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), P.O.Box 586, I-34014 Trieste (Italy)

1997-03-01

We have simulated by {ital ab initio} constant pressure molecular dynamics the solid-state polymerization of acetylene recently observed experimentally in the pressure range 3.5{endash}14 GPa. We have found a massive polymerization only at much higher pressure (25 GPa). However, we have also found that a triplet exciton self-trapped on a single, {ital cis}-bent molecule in crystalline acetylene is a very effective polymerization seed at lower pressure ({lt}9GPa), much closer to the experimental threshold. Therefore, we propose that the polymerization observed experimentally is possibly catalyzed by a similar seed. We predict that injection of triplet excitons would greatly enhance the polymerization rate. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Ab initio determination of effective electron-phonon coupling factor in copper

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen

2016-04-01

The electron temperature Te dependent electron density of states g (ε), Fermi-Dirac distribution f (ε), and electron-phonon spectral function α2 F (Ω) are computed as prerequisites before achieving effective electron-phonon coupling factor Ge-ph. The obtained Ge-ph is implemented into a molecular dynamics (MD) and two-temperature model (TTM) coupled simulation of femtosecond laser heating. By monitoring temperature evolutions of electron and lattice subsystems, the result utilizing Ge-ph from ab initio calculation shows a faster decrease of Te and increase of Tl than those using Ge-ph from phenomenological treatment. The approach of calculating Ge-ph and its implementation into MD-TTM simulation is applicable to other metals.
Theoretical study of silicon carbide under irradiation at the nano scale: classical and ab initio modelling; Etude theorique a l'echelle nanometrique du carbure de silicium sous irradiation: modelisation classique et ab initio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lucas, G

2006-10-15

The behaviour of silicon carbide under irradiation has been studied using classical and ab initio simulations, focusing on the nano scale elementary processes. First, we have been interested in the calculation of threshold displacement energies, which are difficult to determine both experimentally and theoretically, and also the associated Frenkel pairs. In the framework of this thesis, we have carried out simulations in classical and ab initio molecular dynamics. For the classical approach, two types of potentials have been used: the Tersoff potential, which led to non satisfactory results, and a new one which has been developed during this thesis. This potential allows a better modelling of SiC under irradiation than most of the empirical potentials available for SiC. It is based on the EDIP potential, initially developed to describe defects in silicon, that we have generalized to SiC. For the ab initio approach, the feasibility of the calculations has been validated and average energies of 19 eV for the C and 38 eV for the Si sublattices have been determined, close to the values empirically used in the fusion community. The results obtained with the new potential EDIP are globally in agreement with those values. Finally, the elementary processes involved in the crystal recovery have been studied by calculating the stability of the created Frenkel pairs and determining possible recombination mechanisms with the nudged elastic band method. (author)

Ab initio theory and calculations of X-ray spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehr, J.J.; Kas, J.J.; Prange, M.P.; Sorini, A.P.; Takimoto, Y.; Vila, F.

2009-01-01

There has been dramatic progress in recent years both in the calculation and interpretation of various x-ray spectroscopies. However, current theoretical calculations often use a number of simplified models to account for many-body effects, in lieu of first principles calculations. In an effort to overcome these limitations we describe in this article a number of recent advances in theory and in theoretical codes which offer the prospect of parameter free calculations that include the dominant many-body effects. These advances are based on ab initio calculations of the dielectric and vibrational response of a system. Calculations of the dielectric function over a broad spectrum yield system dependent self-energies and mean-free paths, as well as intrinsic losses due to multielectron excitations. Calculations of the dynamical matrix yield vibrational damping in terms of multiple-scattering Debye-Waller factors. Our ab initio methods for determining these many-body effects have led to new, improved, and broadly applicable x-ray and electron spectroscopy codes. (authors)
Ab initio molecular dynamics model for density, elastic properties and short range order of Co-Fe-Ta-B metallic glass thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hostert, C; Music, D; Schneider, J M; Bednarcik, J; Keckes, J; Kapaklis, V; Hjörvarsson, B

2011-01-01

Density, elastic modulus and the pair distribution function of Co-Fe-Ta-B metallic glasses were obtained by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and measured for sputtered thin films using x-ray reflectivity, nanoindentation and x-ray diffraction using high energy photons. The computationally obtained density of 8.19 g cm -3 for Co 43 Fe 20 Ta 5.5 B 31.5 and 8.42 g cm -3 for Co 45.5 Fe 24 Ta 6 B 24.5 , as well as the Young’s moduli of 273 and 251 GPa, respectively, are consistent with our experiments and literature data. These data, together with the good agreement between the theoretical and the experimental pair distribution functions, indicate that the model established here is useful to describe the density, elasticity and short range order of Co-Fe-Ta-B metallic glass thin films. Irrespective of the investigated variation in chemical composition, (Co, Fe)-B cluster formation and Co-Fe interactions are identified by density-of-states analysis. Strong bonds within the structural units and between the metallic species may give rise to the comparatively large stiffness. (paper)
Highly scalable Ab initio genomic motif identification

KAUST Repository

Marchand, Benoit; Bajic, Vladimir B.; Kaushik, Dinesh

2011-01-01

We present results of scaling an ab initio motif family identification system, Dragon Motif Finder (DMF), to 65,536 processor cores of IBM Blue Gene/P. DMF seeks groups of mutually similar polynucleotide patterns within a set of genomic sequences and builds various motif families from them. Such information is of relevance to many problems in life sciences. Prior attempts to scale such ab initio motif-finding algorithms achieved limited success. We solve the scalability issues using a combination of mixed-mode MPI-OpenMP parallel programming, master-slave work assignment, multi-level workload distribution, multi-level MPI collectives, and serial optimizations. While the scalability of our algorithm was excellent (94% parallel efficiency on 65,536 cores relative to 256 cores on a modest-size problem), the final speedup with respect to the original serial code exceeded 250,000 when serial optimizations are included. This enabled us to carry out many large-scale ab initio motiffinding simulations in a few hours while the original serial code would have needed decades of execution time. Copyright 2011 ACM.
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal localization and time evolution dynamics of an excess electron in heterogeneous CO2-H2O systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ping; Zhao, Jing; Liu, Jinxiang; Zhang, Meng; Bu, Yuxiang

2014-01-28

In view of the important implications of excess electrons (EEs) interacting with CO2-H2O clusters in many fields, using ab initio molecular dynamics simulation technique, we reveal the structures and dynamics of an EE associated with its localization and subsequent time evolution in heterogeneous CO2-H2O mixed media. Our results indicate that although hydration can increase the electron-binding ability of a CO2 molecule, it only plays an assisting role. Instead, it is the bending vibrations that play the major role in localizing the EE. Due to enhanced attraction of CO2, an EE can stably reside in the empty, low-lying π(*) orbital of a CO2 molecule via a localization process arising from its initial binding state. The localization is completed within a few tens of femtoseconds. After EE trapping, the ∠OCO angle of the core CO2 (-) oscillates in the range of 127°∼142°, with an oscillation period of about 48 fs. The corresponding vertical detachment energy of the EE is about 4.0 eV, which indicates extreme stability of such a CO2-bound solvated EE in [CO2(H2O)n](-) systems. Interestingly, hydration occurs not only on the O atoms of the core CO2 (-) through formation of O⋯H-O H-bond(s), but also on the C atom, through formation of a C⋯H-O H-bond. In the latter binding mode, the EE cloud exhibits considerable penetration to the solvent water molecules, and its IR characteristic peak is relatively red-shifted compared with the former. Hydration on the C site can increase the EE distribution at the C atom and thus reduce the C⋯H distance in the C⋯H-O H-bonds, and vice versa. The number of water molecules associated with the CO2 (-) anion in the first hydration shell is about 4∼7. No dimer-core (C2O4 (-)) and core-switching were observed in the double CO2 aqueous media. This work provides molecular dynamics insights into the localization and time evolution dynamics of an EE in heterogeneous CO2-H2O media.
Signatures of attosecond electronic–nuclear dynamics in the one-photon ionization of molecular hydrogen: analytical model versus ab initio calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medišauskas, Lukas; Ivanov, Misha Yu; Morales, Felipe; Plimak, Lev; Smirnova, Olga; Palacios, Alicia; González-Castrillo, Alberto; Martín, Fernando

2015-01-01

We present an analytical model based on the time-dependent WKB approximation to reproduce the photoionization spectra of an H 2 molecule in the autoionization region. We explore the nondissociative channel, which is the major contribution after one-photon absorption, and we focus on the features arising in the energy differential spectra due to the interference between the direct and the autoionization pathways. These features depend on both the timescale of the electronic decay of the autoionizing state and the time evolution of the vibrational wavepacket created in this state. With full ab initio calculations and with a one-dimensional approach that only takes into account the nuclear wavepacket associated to the few relevant electronic states we compare the ground state, the autoionizing state, and the background continuum electronic states. Finally, we illustrate how these features transform from molecular-like to atomic-like by increasing the mass of the system, thus making the electronic decay time shorter than the nuclear wavepacket motion associated with the resonant state. In other words, autoionization then occurs faster than the molecular dissociation into neutrals. (paper)
Ab Initio Calculation of Hyperfine Interaction Parameters: Recent Evolutions, Recent Examples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cottenier, Stefaan; Vanhoof, Veerle; Torumba, Doru; Bellini, Valerio; Cakmak, Mehmet; Rots, Michel

2004-01-01

For some years already, ab initio calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) belong to the toolbox of the field of hyperfine interaction studies. In this paper, the standard ab initio approach is schematically sketched. New features, methods and possibilities that broke through during the past few years are listed, and their relation to the standard approach is explained. All this is illustrated by some highlights of recent ab initio work done by the Nuclear Condensed Matter Group at the K.U.Leuven.
Etude par dynamique moléculaire ab initio des propriétés magnétiques, électroniques et structurales des matériaux lamellaires hybrides organiques-inorganiques

OpenAIRE

Chaker , Ziyad

2017-01-01

Ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) refers to a set of state-of-the-art computational methods combining molecular dynamics with density functional theory. It is the basis of what could be called a «Virtual laboratory approach». In this work, we use the Car-Parrinello Molecular Dynamics (CPMD) scheme for investigating the properties of Copper Hydroxide Acetate system, a typical organic-inorganic hybrid material. We determine the corresponding atomic structure as well as several of its chemical...
Ab initio determination of ion traps and the dynamics of silver in silver-doped chalcogenide glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaudhuri, I.; Inam, F.; Drabold, D. A.

2009-01-01

We present a microscopic picture of silver dynamics in GeSe 3 :Ag glass obtained from the ab initio simulation. The dynamics of Ag is explored at two temperatures: 300 and 700 K. In the relaxed network, Ag occupies trapping centers that exist between suitably separated host sites. At 700 K, Ag motion proceeds via a trapping-release dynamics between 'supertraps' or cages consisting of multiple trapping center sites in a small volume. Our work offers a first-principles identification of trapping centers invoked in current theories, with a description of their properties and associated Ag dynamics. We compute the charge state of the Ag in the network and show that it is neutral if weakly bonded and Ag + if in a trapping center
An Insight into the Environmental Effects of the Pocket of the Active Site of the Enzyme. Ab initio ONIOM-Molecular Dynamics (MD) Study on Cytosine Deaminase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsubara, Toshiaki; Dupuis, Michel; Aida, Misako

2008-01-01

We applied the ONIOM-molecular dynamics (MD) method to cytosine deaminase to examine the environmental effects of the amino acid residues in the pocket of the active site on the substrate taking account of their thermal motion. The ab initio ONIOM-MD simulations show that the substrate uracil is strongly perturbed by the amino acid residue Ile33, which sandwiches the uracil with His62, through the steric contact due to the thermal motion. As a result, the magnitude of the thermal oscillation of the potential energy and structure of the substrate uracil significantly increases. TM and MA were partly supported by grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.MD was supported by the Division of Chemical Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, and by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research of the U.S. Department of Energy DOE. Battelle operates Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for DOE
Ab Initio Study of the Dynamical Si–O Bond Breaking Event in α-Quartz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su Rui; Zhang Hong; Han Wei; Chen Jun

2015-01-01

The Si–O bond breaking event in the α-quartz at the first triplet (T_1) excitation state is studied by using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) and nudged elastic band calculations. A meta-stable non-bridging oxygen hole center and E′ center (NBOHC-E′) is observed in the AIMD which consists of a broken Si–O bond with a Si–O distance of 2.54 Å. By disallowing the re-bonding of the Si and O atoms, another defect configuration (III-Si/V-Si) is obtained and validated to be stable at both ground and excitation states. The NBOHC-E′ is found to present on the minimal energy pathway of the initial to III-Si/V-Si transition, showing that the generating of the NBOHC-E′ is an important step of the excitation induced structure defect. The energy barriers to produce the NBOHC-E′ and III-Si/V-Si defects are calculated to be 1.19 and 1.28 eV, respectively. The electronic structures of the two defects are calculated by the self-consistent GW calculations and the results show a clear electron transition from the bonding orbital to the non-bonding orbital. (paper)
Theoretical study of silicon carbide under irradiation at the nano scale: classical and ab initio modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucas, G.

2006-10-01

The behaviour of silicon carbide under irradiation has been studied using classical and ab initio simulations, focusing on the nano scale elementary processes. First, we have been interested in the calculation of threshold displacement energies, which are difficult to determine both experimentally and theoretically, and also the associated Frenkel pairs. In the framework of this thesis, we have carried out simulations in classical and ab initio molecular dynamics. For the classical approach, two types of potentials have been used: the Tersoff potential, which led to non satisfactory results, and a new one which has been developed during this thesis. This potential allows a better modelling of SiC under irradiation than most of the empirical potentials available for SiC. It is based on the EDIP potential, initially developed to describe defects in silicon, that we have generalized to SiC. For the ab initio approach, the feasibility of the calculations has been validated and average energies of 19 eV for the C and 38 eV for the Si sublattices have been determined, close to the values empirically used in the fusion community. The results obtained with the new potential EDIP are globally in agreement with those values. Finally, the elementary processes involved in the crystal recovery have been studied by calculating the stability of the created Frenkel pairs and determining possible recombination mechanisms with the nudged elastic band method. (author)
Modeling Disordered Materials with a High Throughput ab-initio Approach

Science.gov (United States)

2015-11-13

Modeling Disordered Materials with a High Throughput ab - initio Approach Kesong Yang,1 Corey Oses,2 and Stefano Curtarolo3, 4 1Department of...J. Furthmüller, Efficient iterative schemes for ab initio total-energy calculations using a plane-wave basis set, Phys. Rev. B 54, 11169–11186 (1996
The Silica-Water Interface from the Analysis of Molecular Dynamic Simulations

KAUST Repository

Lardhi, Sheikha F.

2013-01-01

detailed understanding of the silica-water interface. In this study, we investigate the details of this interaction at microscopic level by analyzing trajectories obtained with ab initio molecular dynamic simulations. The system we consider consists of bulk
Ab initio study of hydrogen adsorption on benzenoid linkers in metal-organic framework materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Yi; Zeng, X C

2007-01-01

We have computed the energies of adsorption of molecular hydrogen on a number of molecular linkers in metal-organic framework solid materials using density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular orbital methods. We find that the hybrid B3LYP (Becke three-parameter Lee-Yang-Parr) DFT method gives a qualitatively incorrect prediction of the hydrogen binding with benzenoid molecular linkers. Both local-density approximation (LDA) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA) DFT methods are inaccurate in predicting the values of hydrogen binding energies, but can give a qualitatively correct prediction of the hydrogen binding. When compared to the more accurate binding-energy results based on the ab initio Moeller-Plesset second-order perturbation (MP2) method, the LDA results may be viewed as an upper limit while the GGA results may be viewed as a lower limit. Since the MP2 calculation is impractical for realistic metal-organic framework systems, the combined LDA and GGA calculations provide a cost-effective way to assess the hydrogen binding capability of these systems
Ab initio investigation of the switching behavior of the dithiole-benzene nano-molecular wire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darvish Ganji, M.; Rungger, I.

2008-01-01

We report a first-principle study of electrical transport and switching behavior in a single molecular conductor consisting of a dithiole-benzene sandwiched between two Au( 100) electrodes. Ab initio total energy calculations reveal dithiole-benzene molecules on a gold surface, contacted by a monoatomic gold scanning tunneling microscope tip to have two classes of low energy conformations with differing symmetries. Lateral motion of the tip or excitation of the molecule cause it 10 change from one conformation class to the other and to switch between a strongly and a weakly conducting state. Thus, surprisingly. despite their apparent simplicity, these Au-dithiole-benzene -Au nano wires are shown to be electrically bi-stable switches, the smallest two-terminal molecular switches to date. The projected density of states and transmission coefficients are analyzed, and it suggests that the variation of the coupling between the molecule and the electrodes with external bias leads to switching behavior
Ab initio theory for current-induced molecular switching: Melamine on Cu(001)

KAUST Repository

Ohto, Tatsuhiko

2013-05-28

Melamine on Cu(001) is mechanically unstable under the current of a scanning tunneling microscope tip and can switch among configurations. However, these are not equally accessible, and the switching critical current depends on the bias polarity. In order to explain such rich phenomenology, we have developed a scheme to evaluate the evolution of the reaction paths and activation barriers as a function of bias, which is rooted in the nonequilibrium Green\\'s function method implemented within density functional theory. This, combined with the calculation of the inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy signal, allows us to identify the vibrational modes promoting the observed molecular conformational changes. Finally, once our ab initio results are used within a resonance model, we are able to explain the details of the switching behavior, such as its dependence on the bias polarity, and the noninteger power relation between the reaction rate constants and both the bias voltage and the electric current. © 2013 American Physical Society.
Ab initio theory for current-induced molecular switching: Melamine on Cu(001)

KAUST Repository

Ohto, Tatsuhiko; Rungger, Ivan; Yamashita, Koichi; Nakamura, Hisao; Sanvito, Stefano

2013-01-01

Melamine on Cu(001) is mechanically unstable under the current of a scanning tunneling microscope tip and can switch among configurations. However, these are not equally accessible, and the switching critical current depends on the bias polarity. In order to explain such rich phenomenology, we have developed a scheme to evaluate the evolution of the reaction paths and activation barriers as a function of bias, which is rooted in the nonequilibrium Green's function method implemented within density functional theory. This, combined with the calculation of the inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy signal, allows us to identify the vibrational modes promoting the observed molecular conformational changes. Finally, once our ab initio results are used within a resonance model, we are able to explain the details of the switching behavior, such as its dependence on the bias polarity, and the noninteger power relation between the reaction rate constants and both the bias voltage and the electric current. © 2013 American Physical Society.
Simple calculation of ab initio melting curves: Application to aluminum.

Science.gov (United States)

Robert, Grégory; Legrand, Philippe; Arnault, Philippe; Desbiens, Nicolas; Clérouin, Jean

2015-03-01

We present a simple, fast, and promising method to compute the melting curves of materials with ab initio molecular dynamics. It is based on the two-phase thermodynamic model of Lin et al [J. Chem. Phys. 119, 11792 (2003)] and its improved version given by Desjarlais [Phys. Rev. E 88, 062145 (2013)]. In this model, the velocity autocorrelation function is utilized to calculate the contribution of the nuclei motion to the entropy of the solid and liquid phases. It is then possible to find the thermodynamic conditions of equal Gibbs free energy between these phases, defining the melting curve. The first benchmark on the face-centered cubic melting curve of aluminum from 0 to 300 GPa demonstrates how to obtain an accuracy of 5%-10%, comparable to the most sophisticated methods, for a much lower computational cost.
Ab initio calculation of intermolecular potentials for dimer Cl_2-Cl_2 and prediction of second virial coefficients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Thanh Duoc; Nguyen Thi Ai Nhung; Tran Duong; Pham Van Tat

2015-01-01

The results presented in this paper are the ab initio intermolecular potentials and the second virial coefficient, B_2 (T) of the dimer Cl_2-Cl_2. These ab initio potentials were proposed by the quantum chemical calculations at high level of theory CCSD(T) with basis sets of Dunning valence correlation-consistent aug-cc-pVmZ (m = 2, 3); these results were extrapolated to complete basis set limit aug-cc-pV23Z. The ab initio energies of complete basis set limit aug-cc-pV23Z resulted from the exponential extrapolation were used to construct the 5-site pair potential functions. The second virial coefficients for this dimer were predicted from those with four-dimensional integration. The second virial coefficients were also corrected to first-order quantum effects. The results turn out to be in good agreement with experimental data, if available, or with those from empirical correlation. The quality of ab initio 5-site potentials proved the reliability for prediction of molecular thermodynamic properties. (author)
Ab initio potential for solids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chetty, N.; Stokbro, Kurt; Jacobsen, Karsten Wedel

1992-01-01

. At the most approximate level, the theory is equivalent to the usual effective-medium theory. At all levels of approximation, every term in the total-energy expression is calculated ab initio, that is, without any fitting to experiment or to other calculations. Every step in the approximation procedure can...

D2 dissociative adsorption on and associative desorption from Si(100): Dynamic consequences of an ab initio potential energy surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luntz, A. C.; Kratzer, Peter

1996-01-01

favors the symmetric one. Under the conditions of many experiments, either could dominate. The calculations show quite weak dynamic coupling to the Si lattice for both paths, i.e., weak surface temperature dependences to dissociation and small energy loss to the lattice upon desorption......Dynamical calculations are reported for D-2 dissociative chemisorption on and associative desorption from a Si(100) surface. These calculations use the dynamically relevant effective potential which is based on an ab initio potential energy surface for the ''pre-paired'' species. Three coordinates...
Summation of Parquet diagrams as an ab initio method in nuclear structure calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergli, Elise; Hjorth-Jensen, Morten

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → We present a Green's function based approach for doing ab initio nuclear structure calculations. → In particular the sum the subset of so-called Parquet diagrams. → Applying the theory to a simple but realistic model, results in good agreement with other ab initio methods. → This opens up for ab initio calculations for medium-heavy nuclei. - Abstract: In this work we discuss the summation of the Parquet class of diagrams within Green's function theory as a possible framework for ab initio nuclear structure calculations. The theory is presented and some numerical details are discussed, in particular the approximations employed. We apply the Parquet method to a simple model, and compare our results with those from an exact solution. The main conclusion is that even at the level of approximation presented here, the results shows good agreement with other comparable ab initio approaches.
Metal cluster fission: jellium model and Molecular dynamics simulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyalin, Andrey G.; Obolensky, Oleg I.; Solov'yov, Ilia

2004-01-01

Fission of doubly charged sodium clusters is studied using the open-shell two-center deformed jellium model approximation and it ab initio molecular dynamic approach accounting for all electrons in the system. Results of calculations of fission reactions Na_10^2+ --> Na_7^+ + Na_3^+ and Na_18...
The role of Metals in Amyloid Aggregation: A Test Case for ab initio Simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minicozzi, V.; Rossi, G. C.; Stellato, F.; Morante, S.

2007-01-01

First principle ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of the Car-Parrinello type have proved to be of invaluable help in understanding the microscopic mechanisms of chemical bonding both in solid state physics and in structural biophysics. In this work we present as test cases the study of the Cu coordination mode in two especially important examples: Prion protein and β-amyloids. Using medium size PC-clusters as well as larger parallel platforms, we are able to deal with systems comprising 300 to 500 atoms and 1000 to 1500 electrons for as long as 2-3 ps. We present structural results which confirm indications coming from NMR and XAS data
Ab initio calculation of the electronic absorption spectrum of liquid water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martiniano, Hugo F. M. C.; Galamba, Nuno; Cabral, Benedito J. Costa

2014-01-01

The electronic absorption spectrum of liquid water was investigated by coupling a one-body energy decomposition scheme to configurations generated by classical and Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics (BOMD). A Frenkel exciton Hamiltonian formalism was adopted and the excitation energies in the liquid phase were calculated with the equation of motion coupled cluster with single and double excitations method. Molecular dynamics configurations were generated by different approaches. Classical MD were carried out with the TIP4P-Ew and AMOEBA force fields. The BLYP and BLYP-D3 exchange-correlation functionals were used in BOMD. Theoretical and experimental results for the electronic absorption spectrum of liquid water are in good agreement. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between the structure of liquid water predicted by the different models and the electronic absorption spectrum. The theoretical gas to liquid phase blue-shift of the peak positions of the electronic absorption spectrum is in good agreement with experiment. The overall shift is determined by a competition between the O–H stretching of the water monomer in liquid water that leads to a red-shift and polarization effects that induce a blue-shift. The results illustrate the importance of coupling many-body energy decomposition schemes to molecular dynamics configurations to carry out ab initio calculations of the electronic properties in liquid phase
Ab-initio simulations of pressure effects on structural and electronic properties of iron based superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomic, Milan

2013-01-01

The ab-initio molecular dynamics framework has been the cornerstone of computational solid state physics in the last few decades. Although it is already a mature field it is still rapidly developing to accommodate the growth in solid state research as well as to efficiently utilize the increase in computing power. Starting from the first principles, the ab-initio molecular dynamics provides essential information about structural and electronic properties of matter under various external conditions. In this thesis we use the ab-initio molecular dynamics to study the behavior of BaFe 2 As 2 and CaFe 2 As 2 under the application of external pressure. BaFe 2 As 2 and CaFe 2 As 2 belong to the family of iron based superconductors which are a novel and promising superconducting materials. The application of pressure is one of two key methods by which electronic and structural properties of iron based superconductors can be modified, the other one being doping (or chemical pressure). In particular, it has been noted that pressure conditions have an important effect, but their exact role is not fully understood. To better understand the effect of different pressure conditions we have performed a series of ab-initio simulations of pressure application. In order to apply the pressure with arbitrary stress tensor we have developed a method based on the Fast Inertial Relaxation Engine, whereby the unit cell and the atomic positions are evolved according to the metadynamical equations of motion. We have found that the application of hydrostatic and c axis uniaxial pressure induces a phase transition from the magnetically ordered orthorhombic phase to the non-magnetic collapsed tetragonal phase in both BaFe 2 As 2 and CaFe 2 As 2 . In the case of BaFe 2 As 2 , an intermediate tetragonal non-magnetic tetragonal phase is observed in addition. Application of the uniaxial pressure parallel to the c axis reduces the critical pressure of the phase transition by an order of magnitude
Structural Characterization of MAO and Related Aluminum Complexes. 1. Solid-State 27 Al NMR with Comparison to EFG Tensors from ab Initio Molecular Orbital Calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bryant, Pamela L.; Harwell, Chris; Mrse, Anthony A.; Emery, Earl F.; Gan, Zhedong; Caldwell, Tod; Reyes, Arneil P.; Kuhns, Philip; Hoyt, David W.; Simeral, Larry S.; Hall, Randall W.; Butler, Leslie G.

2001-11-07

Aminato and propanolato aluminum clusters with 3-, 4-, and 6-coordinate aluminum sites are studied with three 27Al NMR techniques optimized for large 27Al Quadrupole coupling constants: field-swept, frequency-stepped, and high-field MAS NMR. The 27Al quadrupole coupling constants and asymmetry parameters of molecular species, both experimental and derived from ab initio molecular orbital calculations, are correlated with structure.
Effects of spin orbital coupling on atomic and electronic structures in Al2Cu and Al2Au crystal and liquid phases via ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Y.; Lu, Y.H.; Wang, X.D.; Cao, Q.P.; Zhang, D.X.; Jiang, J.Z.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The SOC effect affects the cohesion energy of crystal phase. • The effect of SOC was reduced due to random local atomic structures in liquids. • The local geometrical structures also affect the melting points. • Both SOC effect and local atomic structures are important for melting point difference. - Abstract: The origin of different melting points between Al 2 Cu and Al 2 Au has been studied using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Cohesive energy, electronic structures and structure information of both crystal and liquid phases have been analyzed. It is found that spin orbital coupling (SOC) plays an important role on the cohesive energy of crystal phase, consistent with the different melting points of these two alloys. Whereas, it seems that SOC has no effect on the formation energy and structure of liquid phase. Possible mechanism of reduced SOC effect at liquid phase is proposed. Our results are helpful to understand the glass formation ability difference between Al 2 Cu and Al 2 Au
Static, dynamic and electronic properties of expanded fluid mercury in the metal-nonmetal transition range. An ab initio study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CalderIn, L; Gonzalez, L E; Gonzalez, D J

2011-01-01

Fluid Hg undergoes a metal-nonmetal (M-NM) transition when expanded toward a density of around 9 g cm -3 . We have performed ab initio molecular dynamics simulations for several thermodynamic states around the M-NM transition range and the associated static, dynamic and electronic properties have been analyzed. The calculated static structure shows a good agreement with the available experimental data. It is found that the volume expansion decreases the number of nearest neighbors from 10 (near the triple point) to around 8 at the M-NM transition region. Moreover, these neighbors are arranged into two subshells and the decrease in the number of neighbors occurs in the inner subshell. The calculated dynamic structure factors agree fairly well with their experimental counterparts obtained by inelastic x-ray scattering experiments, which display inelastic side peaks. The derived dispersion relation exhibits some positive dispersion for all the states, although its value around the M-NM transition region is not as marked as suggested by the experiment. We have also calculated the electronic density of states, which shows the appearance of a gap at a density of around 8.3 g cm -3 . (paper)
Effect of Si on the oxidation reaction of α-Ti(0 0 0 1) surface: ab initio molecular dynamics study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Somesh Kr; Sahara, Ryoji; Ueda, Kyosuke; Narushima, Takayuki

2017-01-01

We present our ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) study of the effect of Si on the oxidation of α-Ti(0 0 0 1) surfaces. We varied the Si concentration in the first layer of the surface from 0 to 25 at.% and the oxygen coverage ( θ ) on the surface was varied up to 1 monolayer (ML). The MD was performed at 300, 600 and 973 K. For θ = 0.5 ML, oxygen penetration into the slab was not observed after 16 ps of MD at 973 K while for θ > 0.5 ML, oxygen penetration into the Ti slab was observed even at 300 K. From Bader charge analysis, we confirmed the formation of the oxide layer on the surface of the Ti slab. At higher temperatures, the Si atoms diffused from the first layer to the interior of the slab, while the Ti atoms moved from second layer to the first layer. The pair correlation function shows the formation of a disordered Ti-O network during the initial stage of oxidation. Si was found to have a strong influence on the penetration of oxygen in the Ti slab at high temperatures.
AB INITIO molecular orbital studies of some high temperature metal halide complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtiss, L.A.

1978-01-01

The use of ab initio molecular orbital calculations to aid in the characterization, i.e., structures and energies, of metal halide complexes present in high temperature salt vapors has been investigated. Standard LCAO-SCF methods were used and calculations were carried out using the minimal STO-3G basis set. The complexes included in this study were Al 2 F 6 , Al 2 Cl 6 , AlF 3 NH 3 , AlCl 3 NH 3 , and AlF 3 N 2 . The Al 2 X 6 complexes are found to have D/sub 2h/ symmetry in agreement with most experimental results. A planar form was found to be considerably higher in energy. The AlX 3 NH 3 complexes are found to have C/sub 3v/ symmetry with a small barrier to rotation about the Al-N axis. The AlF 3 N 2 complex is found to be weakly bound together with a binding energy of -8.2 kcal/mole at the STO-3G level
Ab initio interionic potentials for NaCl by multiple lattice inversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Shuo; Chen Nanxian

2002-01-01

Based on the Chen-Moebius lattice inversion and a series of pseudopotential total-energy curves, a different method is presented to derive the ab initio interionic pair potentials for B1-type ionic crystals. Comparing with the experimental data, the static properties of B1- and B2-type NaCl are well reproduced by the interionic potentials. Moreover, the phase stability of B1-NaCl has been described by the energy minimizations from the global deformed and disturbed states. The molecular-dynamics simulations for the molten NaCl indicate that the calculated mean-square displacements, radial distribution function, and diffusion coefficients gain good agreements with the experimental results. It can be concluded that the inversion pair potentials are valid over a wide range of interionic separations for describing the structural properties of B1-type ionic crystals
Ab initio molecular dynamics studies on effect of Zr on oxidation resistance of TiAlN coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pi, Jingwu [State Key Lab of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha,Hunan 410083 (China); Kong, Yi, E-mail: yikong@csu.edu.cn [State Key Lab of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha,Hunan 410083 (China); Chen, Li [State Key Lab of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha,Hunan 410083 (China); Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide Cutting Tools Co., Ltd., Zhuzhou, Hunan 412007 (China); Du, Yong [State Key Lab of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha,Hunan 410083 (China)

2016-08-15

Highlights: • The lowest bonding energy sequence for dimers in the vacuum: Zr−O < Ti−O < Al−O. • The lowest bonding energy sequence for oxygen above the surface: Ti−O < Zr−O < Al−O. • At 300 K, the addition of Zr benefitting the formation of vacancy and TiO{sub 2}. • At 1123 K, the addition of Zr leading to a more stable surface. • Our findings explain that the oxidation resistance of TiAlZrN superior to TiAlN at 1123 K as well as TiAlZrN at 300 K. - Abstract: It was demonstrated experimentally that doping Zr into TiAlN coatings at room temperature will detriment its oxidation resistance. On the other hand, there are evidences that doping Zr into TiAlN at high temperature will improve coating's oxidation resistance. In the present work, we address the effect of Zr on the oxidation resistance of TiAlN by means of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The TiAlN and TiAlZrN (1 Zr atom replacing 1 Ti atom) surfaces covered with 4 oxygen atoms at 300 K and 1123 K were simulated. Based on the analysis of the atomic motion, bond formation after relaxation, and the charge density difference maps we find that at 300 K, the addition of Zr induces escape of Ti atoms from the surface, resulting in formation of surface vacancies and subsequently TiO{sub 2}. Comparison of metal-oxygen dimers in the vacuum and above the TiAlZrN surface further shows that the addition of Zr in the TiAlN surface will change the lowest bonding energy sequence from Zr−O < Ti−O < Al−O in the vacuum to Ti−O < Zr−O < Al−O above the TiAlZrN surface. From Molecular Dynamics simulations at 1123 K, it is find that no Ti vacancies were generated in the surface. Moreover, less charge is transferred from metal to N atoms and the bond lengths between Ti and O atoms become shorter at 1123 K as compared with 300 K, suggesting that the addition of Zr atom promotes the interaction of Ti and O at TiAlZrN surface at 1123 K, leading to a more stable surface. Our simulation
AB INITIO Modeling of Thermomechanical Properties of Mo-Based Alloys for Fossil Energy Conversion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ching, Wai-Yim

2013-12-31

In this final scientific/technical report covering the period of 3.5 years started on July 1, 2011, we report the accomplishments on the study of thermo-mechanical properties of Mo-based intermetallic compounds under NETL support. These include computational method development, physical properties investigation of Mo-based compounds and alloys. The main focus is on the mechanical and thermo mechanical properties at high temperature since these are the most crucial properties for their potential applications. In particular, recent development of applying ab initio molecular dynamic (AIMD) simulations to the T1 (Mo{sub 5}Si{sub 3}) and T2 (Mo{sub 5}SiB{sub 2}) phases are highlighted for alloy design in further improving their properties.
Refinement of homology-based protein structures by molecular dynamics simulation techniques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fan, H; Mark, AE

The use of classical molecular dynamics simulations, performed in explicit water, for the refinement of structural models of proteins generated ab initio or based on homology has been investigated. The study involved a test set of 15 proteins that were previously used by Baker and coworkers to
Ab initio molecular orbital calculations on the associated complexes of lithium cyanide with ammonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohandas, P.; Shivaglal, M.C.; Chandrasekhar, J.

1995-01-01

Ab initio molecular orbital (MO) calculations with the 3-21G and 6-31G basis sets are carried out on a series of complexes of NH 3 with Li + , C triple-bond N - , LiCN, and its isomer LiNC. The BSSE-corrected interaction energies, geometrical parameters, internal force constants, and harmonic vibrational frequencies are evaluated for 15 species. Complexes with trifurcated (C 3v ) structures are calculated to be saddle points on the potential energy surfaces and have one imaginary frequency each. Calculated energies, geometrical parameters, internal force constants, and harmonic vibrational frequencies of the various species considered are discussed in terms of the nature of association of LiCN with ammonia. The vibrational frequencies of the relevant complexed species are compared with the experimental frequencies reported earlier for solutions of lithium cyanide in liquid ammonia. 40 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs
Structure of hydrogenated amorphous silicon from ab initio molecular dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buda, F. (Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, 174 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio (USA)); Chiarotti, G.L. (International School for Advanced Studies, Strada Costiera 11, I-34014 Trieste (Italy) Laboratorio Tecnologie Avanzate Superfici e Catalisi del Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Padriciano 99, I-34012 Trieste (Italy)); Car, R. (International School for Advanced Studies, Strada Costiera 11, I-34014 Trieste (Italy) Institut Romard de Recherche Numerique en Physique des Materiaux, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Department of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva (Switzerland)); Parrinello, M. (IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, CH-8803 Rueschlikon (Switzerland))

1991-09-15

We have generated a model of hydrogenated amorphous silicon by first-principles molecular dynamics. Our results are in good agreement with the available experimental data and provide new insight into the microscopic structure of this material. The calculation lends support to models in which monohydride complexes are prevalent, and indicates a strong tendency of hydrogen to form small clusters.
ParFit: A Python-Based Object-Oriented Program for Fitting Molecular Mechanics Parameters to ab Initio Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahariev, Federico; De Silva, Nuwan; Gordon, Mark S; Windus, Theresa L; Dick-Perez, Marilu

2017-03-27

A newly created object-oriented program for automating the process of fitting molecular-mechanics parameters to ab initio data, termed ParFit, is presented. ParFit uses a hybrid of deterministic and stochastic genetic algorithms. ParFit can simultaneously handle several molecular-mechanics parameters in multiple molecules and can also apply symmetric and antisymmetric constraints on the optimized parameters. The simultaneous handling of several molecules enhances the transferability of the fitted parameters. ParFit is written in Python, uses a rich set of standard and nonstandard Python libraries, and can be run in parallel on multicore computer systems. As an example, a series of phosphine oxides, important for metal extraction chemistry, are parametrized using ParFit. ParFit is in an open source program available for free on GitHub ( https://github.com/fzahari/ParFit ).
An ab initio and TD DFT

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The photophysical behaviour of N-(2-hydroxy benzylidene) aniline or most commonly known as salicylideneaniline (SA) has been investigated using the ab initio and DFT levels of theory. The quantum chemical calculations show that the optimized non planar enol (1) form of the SA molecule is the most stable conformer ...
Equations of state of heavy metals: ab initio approaches; Equations d'etat des metaux lourds: approches ab initio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, S.; Jollet, F.; Jomard, G.; Siberchicot, B.; Torrent, M.; Zerah, G.; Amadon, B.; Bouchet, J.; Richard, N.; Robert, G. [CEA Bruyeres-le-Chatel, 91 (France)

2005-07-01

The determination of equations of states of heavy metals through ab initio calculation, i.e. without any adjustable parameter, allows to access to pressure and temperature thermodynamic conditions sometimes inaccessible to experiment. To perform such calculations, density functional theory (DFT) is a good starting point: when electronic densities are homogeneous enough, the local density approximation (LDA) remarkably accounts for thermodynamic properties of heavy metals, such as tantalum, or the light actinides, as well for static properties - equilibrium volume, elastic constants - as for dynamical quantities like phonon spectra. For heavier elements, like neptunium or plutonium, relativistic effects and strong electronic interactions must be taken into account, which requires more sophisticated theoretical approaches. (authors)

Single-ion 4f element magnetism: an ab-initio look at Ln(COT)2(-).

Science.gov (United States)

Gendron, Frédéric; Pritchard, Benjamin; Bolvin, Hélène; Autschbach, Jochen

2015-12-14

The electron densities associated with the Ln 4f shell, and spin and orbital magnetizations ('magnetic moment densities'), are investigated for the Ln(COT)2(-) series. The densities are obtained from ab-initio calculations including spin-orbit coupling. For Ln = Ce, Pr the magnetizations are also derived from crystal field models and shown to agree with the ab-initio results. Analysis of magnetizations from ab-initio calculations may be useful in assisting research on single molecule magnets.
Ab initio calculations of 3H(d,n)4He fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navratil, Petr; Quaglioni, Sofia

2012-01-01

We build a new ab initio many-body approach capable of describing simultaneously both bound and scattering states in light nuclei, by combining the resonating-group method with the ab initio no-core shell model. In this way, we complement a microscopic-cluster technique with the use of realistic interactions, and a microscopic and consistent description of the nucleon clusters. We will present the first results of the d- 3 H and d- 3 He fusion calculation obtained within our ab initio approach. We will also discuss our d- 4 He, 3 H- 4 He and 3 H- 3 H scattering calculations and the outline of the extension of the formalism to include three-cluster final states with the goal to calculate the 3 H( 3 H,2n) 4 He cross section
Determinação da estrutura molecular do ciclooctano por métodos ab initio e difração de elétrons na fase gasosa

OpenAIRE

De Almeida,Wagner B.

2000-01-01

The determination of the molecular structure of molecules is of fundamental importance in chemistry. X-rays and electron diffraction methods constitute in important tools for the elucidation of the molecular structure of systems in the solid state and gas phase, respectively. The use of quantum mechanical molecular orbital ab initio methods offer an alternative for conformational analysis studies. Comparison between theoretical results and those obtained experimentally in the gas phase can ma...
New ab initio potential surfaces and three-dimensional quantum dynamics for transition state spectroscopy in ozone photodissociation

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashita, Koichi; Morokuma, Keiji; Le Quéré, Frederic; Leforestier, Claude

1992-04-01

New ab initio potential energy surfaces (PESs) of the ground and B ( 1B 2) states of ozone have been calculated with the CASSCF-SECI/DZP method to describe the three-dimensional photodissociation process. The dissociation energy of the ground state and the vertical barrier height of the B PES are obtained to be 0.88 and 1.34 eV, respectively, in better agreement with the experimental values than the previous calculation. The photodissociation autocorrelation function, calculated on the new B PES, based on exact three-dimensional quantum dynamics, reproduces well the main recurrence feature extracted from the experimental spectra.
Ab Initio Nuclear Structure and Reaction Calculations for Rare Isotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Draayer, Jerry P. [Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States)

2014-09-28

We have developed a novel ab initio symmetry-adapted no-core shell model (SA-NCSM), which has opened the intermediate-mass region for ab initio investigations, thereby providing an opportunity for first-principle symmetry-guided applications to nuclear structure and reactions for nuclear isotopes from the lightest p-shell systems to intermediate-mass nuclei. This includes short-lived proton-rich nuclei on the path of X-ray burst nucleosynthesis and rare neutron-rich isotopes to be produced by the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). We have provided ab initio descriptions of high accuracy for low-lying (including collectivity-driven) states of isotopes of Li, He, Be, C, O, Ne, Mg, Al, and Si, and studied related strong- and weak-interaction driven reactions that are important, in astrophysics, for further understanding stellar evolution, X-ray bursts and triggering of s, p, and rp processes, and in applied physics, for electron and neutrino-nucleus scattering experiments as well as for fusion ignition at the National Ignition Facility (NIF).
Ab Initio Nuclear Structure and Reaction Calculations for Rare Isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Draayer, Jerry P.

2014-01-01

We have developed a novel ab initio symmetry-adapted no-core shell model (SA-NCSM), which has opened the intermediate-mass region for ab initio investigations, thereby providing an opportunity for first-principle symmetry-guided applications to nuclear structure and reactions for nuclear isotopes from the lightest p-shell systems to intermediate-mass nuclei. This includes short-lived proton-rich nuclei on the path of X-ray burst nucleosynthesis and rare neutron-rich isotopes to be produced by the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). We have provided ab initio descriptions of high accuracy for low-lying (including collectivity-driven) states of isotopes of Li, He, Be, C, O, Ne, Mg, Al, and Si, and studied related strong- and weak-interaction driven reactions that are important, in astrophysics, for further understanding stellar evolution, X-ray bursts and triggering of s, p, and rp processes, and in applied physics, for electron and neutrino-nucleus scattering experiments as well as for fusion ignition at the National Ignition Facility (NIF).
Multiscale modeling of current-induced switching in magnetic tunnel junctions using ab initio spin-transfer torques

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Matthew O. A.; Stamenova, Maria; Sanvito, Stefano

2017-12-01

There exists a significant challenge in developing efficient magnetic tunnel junctions with low write currents for nonvolatile memory devices. With the aim of analyzing potential materials for efficient current-operated magnetic junctions, we have developed a multi-scale methodology combining ab initio calculations of spin-transfer torque with large-scale time-dependent simulations using atomistic spin dynamics. In this work we introduce our multiscale approach, including a discussion on a number of possible schemes for mapping the ab initio spin torques into the spin dynamics. We demonstrate this methodology on a prototype Co/MgO/Co/Cu tunnel junction showing that the spin torques are primarily acting at the interface between the Co free layer and MgO. Using spin dynamics we then calculate the reversal switching times for the free layer and the critical voltages and currents required for such switching. Our work provides an efficient, accurate, and versatile framework for designing novel current-operated magnetic devices, where all the materials details are taken into account.
Static electric polarizabilities and first hyperpolarizabilities of molecular ions RgH + (Rg = He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe): ab initio study

Science.gov (United States)

Cukras, Janusz; Antušek, Andrej; Holka, Filip; Sadlej, Joanna

2009-06-01

Extensive ab initio calculations of static electric properties of molecular ions of general formula RgH + (Rg = He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) involving the finite field method and coupled cluster CCSD(T) approach have been done. The relativistic effects were taken into account by Douglas-Kroll-Hess approximation. The numerical stability and reliability of calculated values have been tested using the systematic sequence of Dunning's cc-pVXZ-DK and ANO-RCC-VQZP basis sets. The influence of ZPE and pure vibrational contribution has been discussed. The component αzz has increasing trend in RgH + while the relativistic effect on αzz leads to a small increase of this molecular parameter.
Ab-Initio Modelling Of Surface Site Reactivity And Fluid Transport In Clay Minerals Case Study: Pyrophyllite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Churakov, S.V.

2005-01-01

Pyrophyllite, Al 2 [Si 4 O 10 ](OH) 2 , is the simplest structural prototype for 2:1 dioctahedral phyllosilicate. Because the net electric charge in pyrophyllite is zero, it is the best candidate for investigating the non electrostatic contribution to sorption and transport phenomena in clays. Using ab-initio simulations, we have investigated the reactivity and structure of the water-solid interface on the basal plane and edge sites of pyrophyllite. The calculations predict slightly hydrophobic behaviour of the basal plane. For the high water coverage (100), (110) and (-110), lateral facets have a lower energy than for the (010), (130) and (-130) surfaces. Analysis of the surface reactivity reveals that the =Al-OH groups are most easily protonated on the (010), (130) and (-130) facets. The =Al-O-Si= sites will be protonated on the (100), (130), (110), (-110) and (-130) surfaces. The =Al-OH 2 complexes are more easily de-protonated than the =Si-OH and =Al-OH sites. A spontaneous, reversible exchange of the protons between the solution and the edge sites has been observed in ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations at 300 K. Such near-surface proton diffusion may result in a significant contribution to the diffusion coefficients measured in neutron scattering experiments. (author)
Raman Spectroscopy and Ab-Initio Model Calculations on Ionic Liquids:Invited Review

OpenAIRE

Berg, Rolf W.

2007-01-01

A review of the recent developments in the study and understanding of room temperature ionic liquids are given. An intimate picture of how and why these liquids are not crystals at ambient conditions is attempted, based on evidence from crystallographical results combined with vibrational spectroscopy and ab-initio molecular orbital calculations. A discussion is given, based mainly on some recent FT-Raman spectroscopic results on the model ionic liquid system of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([...
Ab-initio simulations of pressure effects on structural and electronic properties of iron based superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomic, Milan

2013-07-01

The ab-initio molecular dynamics framework has been the cornerstone of computational solid state physics in the last few decades. Although it is already a mature field it is still rapidly developing to accommodate the growth in solid state research as well as to efficiently utilize the increase in computing power. Starting from the first principles, the ab-initio molecular dynamics provides essential information about structural and electronic properties of matter under various external conditions. In this thesis we use the ab-initio molecular dynamics to study the behavior of BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} and CaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} under the application of external pressure. BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} and CaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} belong to the family of iron based superconductors which are a novel and promising superconducting materials. The application of pressure is one of two key methods by which electronic and structural properties of iron based superconductors can be modified, the other one being doping (or chemical pressure). In particular, it has been noted that pressure conditions have an important effect, but their exact role is not fully understood. To better understand the effect of different pressure conditions we have performed a series of ab-initio simulations of pressure application. In order to apply the pressure with arbitrary stress tensor we have developed a method based on the Fast Inertial Relaxation Engine, whereby the unit cell and the atomic positions are evolved according to the metadynamical equations of motion. We have found that the application of hydrostatic and c axis uniaxial pressure induces a phase transition from the magnetically ordered orthorhombic phase to the non-magnetic collapsed tetragonal phase in both BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} and CaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2}. In the case of BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2}, an intermediate tetragonal non-magnetic tetragonal phase is observed in addition. Application of the uniaxial pressure parallel to the c axis reduces the
Ab Initio Calculations Of Light-Ion Reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navratil, P.; Quaglioni, S.; Roth, R.; Horiuchi, W.

2012-01-01

The exact treatment of nuclei starting from the constituent nucleons and the fundamental interactions among them has been a long-standing goal in nuclear physics. In addition to the complex nature of nuclear forces, one faces the quantum-mechanical many-nucleon problem governed by an interplay between bound and continuum states. In recent years, significant progress has been made in ab initio nuclear structure and reaction calculations based on input from QCD employing Hamiltonians constructed within chiral effective field theory. In this contribution, we present one of such promising techniques capable of describing simultaneously both bound and scattering states in light nuclei. By combining the resonating-group method (RGM) with the ab initio no-core shell model (NCSM), we complement a microscopic cluster approach with the use of realistic interactions and a microscopic and consistent description of the clusters. We discuss applications to light nuclei scattering, radiative capture and fusion reactions.
A hydronitrogen solid: high pressure ab initio evolutionary structure searches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Anguang; Zhang Fan

2011-01-01

High pressure ab initio evolutionary structure searches resulted in a hydronitrogen solid with a composition of (NH) 4 . The structure searches also provided two molecular isomers, ammonium azide (AA) and trans-tetrazene (TTZ) which were previously discovered experimentally and can be taken as molecular precursors for high pressure synthesis of the hydronitrogen solid. The computed pressure versus enthalpy diagram showed that the transformation pressure to the hydronitrogen solid is 36 GPa from AA and 75 GPa from TTZ. Its metastability was analyzed by the phonon dispersion spectrum and room-temperature vibrational density of state together with the transformation energy barrier back to molecular phases at 298 K. The predicted energy barrier of 0.21 eV/atom means that the proposed hydronitrogen solid should be very stable at ambient conditions. (fast track communication)
Vibrational mode frequencies of silica species in SiO2-H2O liquids and glasses from ab initio molecular dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiekermann, Georg; Steele-MacInnis, Matthew; Schmidt, Christian; Jahn, Sandro

2012-04-21

Vibrational spectroscopy techniques are commonly used to probe the atomic-scale structure of silica species in aqueous solution and hydrous silica glasses. However, unequivocal assignment of individual spectroscopic features to specific vibrational modes is challenging. In this contribution, we establish a connection between experimentally observed vibrational bands and ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) of silica species in solution and in hydrous silica glass. Using the mode-projection approach, we decompose the vibrations of silica species into subspectra resulting from several fundamental structural subunits: The SiO(4) tetrahedron of symmetry T(d), the bridging oxygen (BO) Si-O-Si of symmetry C(2v), the geminal oxygen O-Si-O of symmetry C(2v), the individual Si-OH stretching, and the specific ethane-like symmetric stretching contribution of the H(6)Si(2)O(7) dimer. This allows us to study relevant vibrations of these subunits in any degree of polymerization, from the Q(0) monomer up to the fully polymerized Q(4) tetrahedra. Demonstrating the potential of this approach for supplementing the interpretation of experimental spectra, we compare the calculated frequencies to those extracted from experimental Raman spectra of hydrous silica glasses and silica species in aqueous solution. We discuss observed features such as the double-peaked contribution of the Q(2) tetrahedral symmetric stretch, the individual Si-OH stretching vibrations, the origin of the experimentally observed band at 970 cm(-1) and the ethane-like vibrational contribution of the H(6)Si(2)O(7) dimer at 870 cm(-1).
Use of ab initio quantum chemical methods in battery technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deiss, E [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

1997-06-01

Ab initio quantum chemistry can nowadays predict physical and chemical properties of molecules and solids. An attempt should be made to use this tool more widely for predicting technologically favourable materials. To demonstrate the use of ab initio quantum chemistry in battery technology, the theoretical energy density (energy per volume of active electrode material) and specific energy (energy per mass of active electrode material) of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery consisting of a graphite electrode and a nickel oxide electrode has been calculated with this method. (author) 1 fig., 1 tab., 7 refs.
Non-equilibrium dynamics in disordered materials: Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohmura, Satoshi; Nagaya, Kiyonobu; Yao, Makoto; Shimojo, Fuyuki

2015-01-01

The dynamic properties of liquid B 2 O 3 under pressure and highly-charged bromophenol molecule are studied by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on density functional theory (DFT). Diffusion properties of covalent liquids under high pressure are very interesting in the sense that they show unexpected pressure dependence. It is found from our simulation that the magnitude relation of diffusion coefficients for boron and oxygen in liquid B 2 O 3 shows the anomalous pressure dependence. The simulation clarified the microscopic origin of the anomalous diffusion properties. Our simulation also reveals the dissociation mechanism in the coulomb explosion of the highly-charged bromophenol molecule. When the charge state n is 6, hydrogen atom in the hydroxyl group dissociates at times shorter than 20 fs while all hydrogen atoms dissociate when n is 8. After the hydrogen dissociation, the carbon ring breaks at about 100 fs. There is also a difference on the mechanism of the ring breaking depending on charge states, in which the ring breaks with expanding (n = 6) or shrink (n = 8)
Ab-initio calculations of superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3O7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, G.L.; Bagayoko, D.

1999-01-01

The authors present ab-initio calculations for the electronic structure and superconducting properties of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO). The electronic structure was calculated using a self-consistent ab-initio LCAO method. They solved the anisotropic Eliashberg gap equation numerically. The strong coupling of the high energy optical phonons around 60--73 meV, with the electrons at the Fermi surface, leads to a high Tc in YBCO. The calculated Tc is about 89 K for μ* = 0.1. The good agreement of the calculated results with experimental measurements and the ab-initio nature of the calculations support the scenario of an anisotropic s-wave superconductor for YBCO
Strong influence of coadsorbate interaction on CO desorption dynamics on Ru(0001) probed by ultrafast x-ray spectroscopy and ab initio simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xin, H. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States); LaRue, J. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Oberg, H. [Stockholm Univ., Stockholm (Sweden); Beye, M. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin fur Materialien und Energie GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Dell' Angela, M. [Univ. of Hamburg and Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Hamburg (Germany); Turner, J. J. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Gladh, J. [Stockholm Univ., Stockholm (Sweden); Ng, M. L. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Sellberg, J. A. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin fur Materialien und Energie GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Kaya, S. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Mercurio, G. [Univ. of Hamburg and Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Hamburg (Germany); Hieke, F. [Univ. of Hamburg and Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Hamburg (Germany); Nordlund, D. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Schlotter, W. F. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Dakovski, G. L. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Minitti, M. P. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Fohlisch, A. [Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin fur Materialien und Energie GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Univ. Potsdam, Potsdam (Germany); Wolf, M. [Fritz-Haber Institute of the Max-Planck-Society, Berlin (Germany); Wurth, W. [Univ. of Hamburg and Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Hamburg (Germany); DESY Photon Science, Hamburg (Germany); Ogasawara, H. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Norskov, J. K. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States); Ostrom, H. [Stockholm Univ., Stockholm (Sweden); Pettersson, L. G. M. [Stockholm Univ., Stockholm (Sweden); Nilsson, A. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Stockholm Univ., Stockholm (Sweden); Ablid-Pedersen, F. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

2015-04-16

We show that coadsorbed oxygen atoms have a dramatic influence on the CO desorption dynamics from Ru(0001). In contrast to the precursor-mediated desorption mechanism on Ru(0001), the presence of surface oxygen modifies the electronic structure of Ru atoms such that CO desorption occurs predominantly via the direct pathway. This phenomenon is directly observed in an ultrafast pump-probe experiment using a soft x-ray free-electron laser to monitor the dynamic evolution of the valence electronic structure of the surface species. This is supported with the potential of mean force along the CO desorption path obtained from density-functional theory calculations. Charge density distribution and frozen-orbital analysis suggest that the oxygen-induced reduction of the Pauli repulsion, and consequent increase of the dative interaction between the CO 5σ and the charged Ru atom, is the electronic origin of the distinct desorption dynamics. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of CO desorption from Ru(0001) and oxygen-coadsorbed Ru(0001) provide further insights into the surface bond-breaking process.
Effects of molecular packing in organic crystals on singlet fission with ab initio many body perturbation theory

Science.gov (United States)

Haber, Jonah; Refaely-Abramson, Sivan; da Jornada, Felipe H.; Louie, Steven G.; Neaton, Jeffrey B.

Multi-exciton generation processes, in which multiple charge carriers are generated from a single photon, are mechanisms of significant interest for achieving efficiencies beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit of conventional p-n junction solar cells. One well-studied multiexciton process is singlet fission, whereby a singlet decays into two spin-correlated triplet excitons. Here, we use a newly developed computational approach to calculate singlet-fission coupling terms and rates with an ab initio Green's function formalism based on many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) within the GW approximation and the Bethe-Salpeter equation approach. We compare results for crystalline pentacene and TIPS-pentacene and explore the effect of molecular packing on the singlet fission mechanism. This work is supported by the Department of Energy.
Raman spectroscopy, ab-initio model calculations, and conformational, equilibria in ionic liquids

OpenAIRE

Berg, Rolf W.

2009-01-01

A review of the recent developments in the study and understanding of room temperature ionic liquids are given. An intimate picture of how and why these liquids are not crystals at ambient conditions is attempted, based on evidence from crystallographical results combined with vibrational spectroscopy and ab-initio molecular orbital calculations. A discussion is given, based mainly on some recent FT- Raman spectroscopic results on the model ionic liquid system of 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium ...

Study of carvedilol by combined Raman spectroscopy and ab initio MO calculations

OpenAIRE

Marques, M. P. M.; Oliveira, P. J.; Moreno, A. J. M.; Carvalho, L. A. E. Batista de

2002-01-01

The novel cardioprotective drug carvedilol was studied by both Raman spectroscopy and ab initio molecular orbital methods (using the density functional theory approach). The spectra, acquired both for the solid samples and DMSO solutions as a function of pH, were assigned in view of the calculated wavenumbers and intensities, and also based on the experimental data obtained for individual compounds which comprise the molecule, namely carbazole and 1,2-dimethoxybenzene. The pH dependence of th...
Ab initio nuclear structure - the large sparse matrix eigenvalue problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vary, James P; Maris, Pieter [Department of Physics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011 (United States); Ng, Esmond; Yang, Chao [Computational Research Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Sosonkina, Masha, E-mail: jvary@iastate.ed [Scalable Computing Laboratory, Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011 (United States)

2009-07-01

The structure and reactions of light nuclei represent fundamental and formidable challenges for microscopic theory based on realistic strong interaction potentials. Several ab initio methods have now emerged that provide nearly exact solutions for some nuclear properties. The ab initio no core shell model (NCSM) and the no core full configuration (NCFC) method, frame this quantum many-particle problem as a large sparse matrix eigenvalue problem where one evaluates the Hamiltonian matrix in a basis space consisting of many-fermion Slater determinants and then solves for a set of the lowest eigenvalues and their associated eigenvectors. The resulting eigenvectors are employed to evaluate a set of experimental quantities to test the underlying potential. For fundamental problems of interest, the matrix dimension often exceeds 10{sup 10} and the number of nonzero matrix elements may saturate available storage on present-day leadership class facilities. We survey recent results and advances in solving this large sparse matrix eigenvalue problem. We also outline the challenges that lie ahead for achieving further breakthroughs in fundamental nuclear theory using these ab initio approaches.
Ab initio nuclear structure - the large sparse matrix eigenvalue problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vary, James P; Maris, Pieter; Ng, Esmond; Yang, Chao; Sosonkina, Masha

2009-01-01

The structure and reactions of light nuclei represent fundamental and formidable challenges for microscopic theory based on realistic strong interaction potentials. Several ab initio methods have now emerged that provide nearly exact solutions for some nuclear properties. The ab initio no core shell model (NCSM) and the no core full configuration (NCFC) method, frame this quantum many-particle problem as a large sparse matrix eigenvalue problem where one evaluates the Hamiltonian matrix in a basis space consisting of many-fermion Slater determinants and then solves for a set of the lowest eigenvalues and their associated eigenvectors. The resulting eigenvectors are employed to evaluate a set of experimental quantities to test the underlying potential. For fundamental problems of interest, the matrix dimension often exceeds 10 10 and the number of nonzero matrix elements may saturate available storage on present-day leadership class facilities. We survey recent results and advances in solving this large sparse matrix eigenvalue problem. We also outline the challenges that lie ahead for achieving further breakthroughs in fundamental nuclear theory using these ab initio approaches.
Anti-symmetrized molecular dynamics: a new insight into the structure of nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshiko, Kanada-En'yo; Masaaki, Kimura; Hisashi, Horiuchi

2003-01-01

The AMD (anti-symmetrized molecular dynamics) theory for nuclear structure is explained by showing its actual applications. First the formulation of AMD including various refined versions is briefly presented and its characteristics are discussed, putting a stress on its nature as an 'ab initio' theory. Then we demonstrate fruitful applications to various structure problems in stable nuclei, in order to explicitly verify the 'ab initio' nature of AMD, especially the ability to describe both mean-field-type structure and cluster structure. Finally, we show the results of applications of AMD to unstable nuclei, from which we see that AMD is powerful in elucidating and understanding various types of nuclear structure of unstable nuclei. (authors)
Ab initio dynamics and photoionization mass spectrometry reveal ion-molecule pathways from ionized acetylene clusters to benzene cation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Tamar; Bandyopadhyay, Biswajit; Troy, Tyler P; Fang, Yigang; Kostko, Oleg; Ahmed, Musahid; Head-Gordon, Martin

2017-05-23

The growth mechanism of hydrocarbons in ionizing environments, such as the interstellar medium (ISM), and some combustion conditions remains incompletely understood. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and molecular beam vacuum-UV (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry experiments were performed to understand the ion-molecule growth mechanism of small acetylene clusters (up to hexamers). A dramatic dependence of product distribution on the ionization conditions is demonstrated experimentally and understood from simulations. The products change from reactive fragmentation products in a higher temperature, higher density gas regime toward a very cold collision-free cluster regime that is dominated by products whose empirical formula is (C 2 H 2 ) n + , just like ionized acetylene clusters. The fragmentation products result from reactive ion-molecule collisions in a comparatively higher pressure and temperature regime followed by unimolecular decomposition. The isolated ionized clusters display rich dynamics that contain bonded C 4 H 4 + and C 6 H 6 + structures solvated with one or more neutral acetylene molecules. Such species contain large amounts (>2 eV) of excess internal energy. The role of the solvent acetylene molecules is to affect the barrier crossing dynamics in the potential energy surface (PES) between (C 2 H 2 ) n + isomers and provide evaporative cooling to dissipate the excess internal energy and stabilize products including the aromatic ring of the benzene cation. Formation of the benzene cation is demonstrated in AIMD simulations of acetylene clusters with n > 3, as well as other metastable C 6 H 6 + isomers. These results suggest a path for aromatic ring formation in cold acetylene-rich environments such as parts of the ISM.
Ab initio dynamics and photoionization mass spectrometry reveal ion–molecule pathways from ionized acetylene clusters to benzene cation

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Tamar; Bandyopadhyay, Biswajit; Troy, Tyler P.; Fang, Yigang; Kostko, Oleg

2017-01-01

The growth mechanism of hydrocarbons in ionizing environments, such as the interstellar medium (ISM), and some combustion conditions remains incompletely understood. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and molecular beam vacuum-UV (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry experiments were performed to understand the ion–molecule growth mechanism of small acetylene clusters (up to hexamers). A dramatic dependence of product distribution on the ionization conditions is demonstrated experimentally and understood from simulations. The products change from reactive fragmentation products in a higher temperature, higher density gas regime toward a very cold collision-free cluster regime that is dominated by products whose empirical formula is (C2H2)n+, just like ionized acetylene clusters. The fragmentation products result from reactive ion–molecule collisions in a comparatively higher pressure and temperature regime followed by unimolecular decomposition. The isolated ionized clusters display rich dynamics that contain bonded C4H4+ and C6H6+ structures solvated with one or more neutral acetylene molecules. Such species contain large amounts (>2 eV) of excess internal energy. The role of the solvent acetylene molecules is to affect the barrier crossing dynamics in the potential energy surface (PES) between (C2H2)n+ isomers and provide evaporative cooling to dissipate the excess internal energy and stabilize products including the aromatic ring of the benzene cation. Formation of the benzene cation is demonstrated in AIMD simulations of acetylene clusters with n > 3, as well as other metastable C6H6+ isomers. These results suggest a path for aromatic ring formation in cold acetylene-rich environments such as parts of the ISM. PMID:28484019
Pharmacological Classification and Activity Evaluation of Furan and Thiophene Amide Derivatives Applying Semi-Empirical ab initio Molecular Modeling Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leszek Bober

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Pharmacological and physicochemical classification of the furan and thiophene amide derivatives by multiple regression analysis and partial least square (PLS based on semi-empirical ab initio molecular modeling studies and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC retention data is proposed. Structural parameters obtained from the PCM (Polarizable Continuum Model method and the literature values of biological activity (antiproliferative for the A431 cells expressed as LD₅₀ of the examined furan and thiophene derivatives was used to search for relationships. It was tested how variable molecular modeling conditions considered together, with or without HPLC retention data, allow evaluation of the structural recognition of furan and thiophene derivatives with respect to their pharmacological properties.
Observing the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition in Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} non-volatile memory materials from ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, T.H.; Elliott, S.R. [Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge (United Kingdom)

2012-10-15

Phase-change memory is a promising candidate for the next generation of non-volatile memory devices. This technology utilizes reversible phase transitions between amorphous and crystalline phases of a recording material, and has been successfully used in rewritable optical data storage, revealing its feasibility. In spite of the importance of understanding the nucleation and growth processes that play a critical role in the phase transition, this understanding is still incomplete. Here, we present observations of the early stages of crystallization in Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} materials through ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations. Planar structures, including fourfold rings and planes, play an important role in the formation and growth of crystalline clusters in the amorphous matrix. At the same time, vacancies facilitate crystallization by providing space at the glass-crystalline interface for atomic diffusion, which results in fast crystal growth, as observed in simulations and experiments. The microscopic mechanism of crystallization presented here may deepen our understanding of the phase transition occurring in real devices, providing an opportunity to optimize the memory performance of phase-change materials. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Ground state analytical ab initio intermolecular potential for the Cl2-water system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hormain, Laureline; Monnerville, Maurice; Toubin, Céline; Duflot, Denis; Pouilly, Brigitte; Briquez, Stéphane; Bernal-Uruchurtu, Margarita I.; Hernández-Lamoneda, Ramón

2015-01-01

The chlorine/water interface is of crucial importance in the context of atmospheric chemistry. Modeling the structure and dynamics at this interface requires an accurate description of the interaction potential energy surfaces. We propose here an analytical intermolecular potential that reproduces the interaction between the Cl 2 molecule and a water molecule. Our functional form is fitted to a set of high level ab initio data using the coupled-cluster single double (triple)/aug-cc-p-VTZ level of electronic structure theory for the Cl 2 − H 2 O complex. The potential fitted to reproduce the three minima structures of 1:1 complex is validated by the comparison of ab initio results of Cl 2 interacting with an increasing number of water molecules. Finally, the model potential is used to study the physisorption of Cl 2 on a perfectly ordered hexagonal ice slab. The calculated adsorption energy, in the range 0.27 eV, shows a good agreement with previous experimental results
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal localization and time evolution dynamics of an excess electron in heterogeneous CO{sub 2}–H{sub 2}O systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Ping; Zhao, Jing; Liu, Jinxiang; Zhang, Meng; Bu, Yuxiang, E-mail: byx@sdu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100 (China)

2014-01-28

In view of the important implications of excess electrons (EEs) interacting with CO{sub 2}–H{sub 2}O clusters in many fields, using ab initio molecular dynamics simulation technique, we reveal the structures and dynamics of an EE associated with its localization and subsequent time evolution in heterogeneous CO{sub 2}–H{sub 2}O mixed media. Our results indicate that although hydration can increase the electron-binding ability of a CO{sub 2} molecule, it only plays an assisting role. Instead, it is the bending vibrations that play the major role in localizing the EE. Due to enhanced attraction of CO{sub 2}, an EE can stably reside in the empty, low-lying π{sup *} orbital of a CO{sub 2} molecule via a localization process arising from its initial binding state. The localization is completed within a few tens of femtoseconds. After EE trapping, the ∠OCO angle of the core CO{sub 2}{sup −} oscillates in the range of 127°∼142°, with an oscillation period of about 48 fs. The corresponding vertical detachment energy of the EE is about 4.0 eV, which indicates extreme stability of such a CO{sub 2}-bound solvated EE in [CO{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub n}]{sup −} systems. Interestingly, hydration occurs not only on the O atoms of the core CO{sub 2}{sup −} through formation of O⋯H–O H–bond(s), but also on the C atom, through formation of a C⋯H–O H–bond. In the latter binding mode, the EE cloud exhibits considerable penetration to the solvent water molecules, and its IR characteristic peak is relatively red-shifted compared with the former. Hydration on the C site can increase the EE distribution at the C atom and thus reduce the C⋯H distance in the C⋯H–O H–bonds, and vice versa. The number of water molecules associated with the CO{sub 2}{sup −} anion in the first hydration shell is about 4∼7. No dimer-core (C{sub 2}O{sub 4}{sup −}) and core-switching were observed in the double CO{sub 2} aqueous media. This work provides molecular dynamics
Ab Initio Atomistic Thermodynamics for Surfaces: A Primer

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Rogal, Jutta; Reuter, Karsten

2006-01-01

.... These techniques are referred to as first-principles (or in latin: ab initio) to indicate that they do not rely on empirical or fitted parameters, which then makes them applicable for a wide range of realistic conditions...
Ab initio effective core potentials for molecular calculations. Potentials for main group elements Na to Bi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wadt, W.R.; Hay, P.J.

1985-01-01

A consistent set of ab initio effective core potentials (ECP) has been generated for the main group elements from Na to Bi using the procedure originally developed by Kahn. The ECP's are derived from all-electron numerical Hartree--Fock atomic wave functions and fit to analytical representations for use in molecular calculations. For Rb to Bi the ECP's are generated from the relativistic Hartree--Fock atomic wave functions of Cowan which incorporate the Darwin and mass--velocity terms. Energy-optimized valence basis sets of (3s3p) primitive Gaussians are presented for use with the ECP's. Comparisons between all-electron and valence-electron ECP calculations are presented for NaF, NaCl, Cl 2 , Cl 2 - , Br 2 , Br 2 - , and Xe 2 + . The results show that the average errors introduced by the ECP's are generally only a few percent
Multiscale Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Simulations with Neural Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Lin; Wu, Jingheng; Yang, Weitao

2016-10-11

Molecular dynamics simulation with multiscale quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods is a very powerful tool for understanding the mechanism of chemical and biological processes in solution or enzymes. However, its computational cost can be too high for many biochemical systems because of the large number of ab initio QM calculations. Semiempirical QM/MM simulations have much higher efficiency. Its accuracy can be improved with a correction to reach the ab initio QM/MM level. The computational cost on the ab initio calculation for the correction determines the efficiency. In this paper we developed a neural network method for QM/MM calculation as an extension of the neural-network representation reported by Behler and Parrinello. With this approach, the potential energy of any configuration along the reaction path for a given QM/MM system can be predicted at the ab initio QM/MM level based on the semiempirical QM/MM simulations. We further applied this method to three reactions in water to calculate the free energy changes. The free-energy profile obtained from the semiempirical QM/MM simulation is corrected to the ab initio QM/MM level with the potential energies predicted with the constructed neural network. The results are in excellent accordance with the reference data that are obtained from the ab initio QM/MM molecular dynamics simulation or corrected with direct ab initio QM/MM potential energies. Compared with the correction using direct ab initio QM/MM potential energies, our method shows a speed-up of 1 or 2 orders of magnitude. It demonstrates that the neural network method combined with the semiempirical QM/MM calculation can be an efficient and reliable strategy for chemical reaction simulations.
Coding considerations for standalone molecular dynamics simulations of atomistic structures

Science.gov (United States)

Ocaya, R. O.; Terblans, J. J.

2017-10-01

The laws of Newtonian mechanics allow ab-initio molecular dynamics to model and simulate particle trajectories in material science by defining a differentiable potential function. This paper discusses some considerations for the coding of ab-initio programs for simulation on a standalone computer and illustrates the approach by C language codes in the context of embedded metallic atoms in the face-centred cubic structure. The algorithms use velocity-time integration to determine particle parameter evolution for up to several thousands of particles in a thermodynamical ensemble. Such functions are reusable and can be placed in a redistributable header library file. While there are both commercial and free packages available, their heuristic nature prevents dissection. In addition, developing own codes has the obvious advantage of teaching techniques applicable to new problems.
The Pu–U–Am system: An ab initio informed CALPHAD thermodynamic study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perron, A.; Turchi, P.E.A.; Landa, A.; Söderlind, P.; Ravat, B.; Oudot, B.; Delaunay, F.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The ab initio informed CALPHAD assessment of the Am–U system has been realized. • A strong tendency toward phase separation across the whole composition range is predicted. • The ab initio informed Pu–U–Am thermodynamic database has been developed. • The solubility of Am and U in the liquid phase is improved by adding Pu. • The δ-Pu (fcc) phase is strongly stabilized by Am, on the contrary to the bcc phase. - Abstract: Phase diagram and thermodynamic properties of the Am–U system, that are experimentally unknown, are calculated using the CALPHAD method with input from ab initio electronic-structure calculations for the fcc and bcc phases. A strong tendency toward phase separation across the whole composition range is predicted. In addition, ab initio informed Pu–U and Am–Pu thermodynamic assessments are combined to build a Pu–U–Am thermodynamic database. Regarding the Pu-rich corner of the ternary system, predictions indicate that Am acts as a powerful δ-Pu (fcc) stabilizer. In the U-rich corner, similar predictions are made but to a lesser extent. In both cases, the bcc phase is destabilized and the fcc phase is enhanced. Finally, results and methodology are discussed and compared with previous assessments and guidelines are provided for further experimental studies
The Pu–U–Am system: An ab initio informed CALPHAD thermodynamic study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perron, A., E-mail: perron1@llnl.gov [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Turchi, P.E.A.; Landa, A.; Söderlind, P. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Ravat, B.; Oudot, B.; Delaunay, F. [CEA-Centre de Valduc, 21120 Is sur Tille (France)

2015-03-15

Highlights: • The ab initio informed CALPHAD assessment of the Am–U system has been realized. • A strong tendency toward phase separation across the whole composition range is predicted. • The ab initio informed Pu–U–Am thermodynamic database has been developed. • The solubility of Am and U in the liquid phase is improved by adding Pu. • The δ-Pu (fcc) phase is strongly stabilized by Am, on the contrary to the bcc phase. - Abstract: Phase diagram and thermodynamic properties of the Am–U system, that are experimentally unknown, are calculated using the CALPHAD method with input from ab initio electronic-structure calculations for the fcc and bcc phases. A strong tendency toward phase separation across the whole composition range is predicted. In addition, ab initio informed Pu–U and Am–Pu thermodynamic assessments are combined to build a Pu–U–Am thermodynamic database. Regarding the Pu-rich corner of the ternary system, predictions indicate that Am acts as a powerful δ-Pu (fcc) stabilizer. In the U-rich corner, similar predictions are made but to a lesser extent. In both cases, the bcc phase is destabilized and the fcc phase is enhanced. Finally, results and methodology are discussed and compared with previous assessments and guidelines are provided for further experimental studies.
Feasible and realiable ab initio atomistic modeling for nuclear waste management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beridze, George

2016-07-01

The studies in this PhD dissertation focus on finding a computationally feasible ab initio methodology which would make the reliable first principle atomistic modeling of nuclear materials possible. Here we tested the performance of the different DFT functionals and the DFT-based methods that explicitly account for the electronic correlations, such as the DFT+U approach, for prediction of structural and thermochemical properties of lanthanide- and actinide-bearing materials. In the previous studies, the value of the Hubbard U parameter, required by the DFT+U method, was often guessed or empirically derived. We applied and extensively tested the recently developed ab initio methods such as the constrained local density approximation (cLDA) and the constrained random phase approximation (cRPA), to compute the Hubbard U parameter values from first principles, thus making the DFT+U method a real it ab initio parameter free approach. Our successful benchmarking studies of the parameter-free DFT+U method, for prediction of the structures and the reaction enthalpies of actinide- and lanthanide-bearing molecular compounds and solids indicate, that the linear response method (cLDA) provides a very good, and consistent with the cRPA prediction, estimate of the Hubbard U parameter. In particular, we found that the Hubbard U parameter value, which describes the strength of the on-site Coulomb repulsion between f-electrons, depends strongly on the oxidation state of the f-element, its local bonding environment and crystalline structure of the materials, which has never been considered in such detail before. We have shown, that the applied computational approach substantially, if not dramatically, reduces the error of the predicted reaction enthalpies making the accuracy of the prediction comparable with the uncertainty of the computational unfeasible, higher order methods of quantum chemistry, and experiments. The derived methodology resulted in various, already published
Feasible and realiable ab initio atomistic modeling for nuclear waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beridze, George

2016-01-01

The studies in this PhD dissertation focus on finding a computationally feasible ab initio methodology which would make the reliable first principle atomistic modeling of nuclear materials possible. Here we tested the performance of the different DFT functionals and the DFT-based methods that explicitly account for the electronic correlations, such as the DFT+U approach, for prediction of structural and thermochemical properties of lanthanide- and actinide-bearing materials. In the previous studies, the value of the Hubbard U parameter, required by the DFT+U method, was often guessed or empirically derived. We applied and extensively tested the recently developed ab initio methods such as the constrained local density approximation (cLDA) and the constrained random phase approximation (cRPA), to compute the Hubbard U parameter values from first principles, thus making the DFT+U method a real it ab initio parameter free approach. Our successful benchmarking studies of the parameter-free DFT+U method, for prediction of the structures and the reaction enthalpies of actinide- and lanthanide-bearing molecular compounds and solids indicate, that the linear response method (cLDA) provides a very good, and consistent with the cRPA prediction, estimate of the Hubbard U parameter. In particular, we found that the Hubbard U parameter value, which describes the strength of the on-site Coulomb repulsion between f-electrons, depends strongly on the oxidation state of the f-element, its local bonding environment and crystalline structure of the materials, which has never been considered in such detail before. We have shown, that the applied computational approach substantially, if not dramatically, reduces the error of the predicted reaction enthalpies making the accuracy of the prediction comparable with the uncertainty of the computational unfeasible, higher order methods of quantum chemistry, and experiments. The derived methodology resulted in various, already published
Dielectric Response and Born Dynamic Charge of BN Nanotubes from Ab Initio Finite Electric Field Calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Guang-Yu; Ishibashi, Shoji; Tamura, Tomoyuki; Terakura, Kiyoyuki

2007-03-01

Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in 1991 by Iijima, carbon and other nanotubes have attracted considerable interest worldwide because of their unusual properties and also great potentials for technological applications. Though CNTs continue to attract great interest, other nanotubes such as BN nanotubes (BN-NTs) may offer different opportunities that CNTs cannot provide. In this contribution, we present the results of our recent systematic ab initio calculations of the static dielectric constant, electric polarizability, Born dynamical charge, electrostriction coefficient and piezoelectric constant of BN-NTs using the latest crystalline finite electric field theory [1]. [1] I. Souza, J. Iniguez, and D. Vanderbilt, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 117602 (2002); P. Umari and A. Pasquarello, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 157602 (2002).
The accuracy of ab initio calculations without ab initio calculations for charged systems: Kriging predictions of atomistic properties for ions in aqueous solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Di Pasquale, Nicodemo; Davie, Stuart J.; Popelier, Paul L. A.

2018-06-01

Using the machine learning method kriging, we predict the energies of atoms in ion-water clusters, consisting of either Cl- or Na+ surrounded by a number of water molecules (i.e., without Na+Cl- interaction). These atomic energies are calculated following the topological energy partitioning method called Interacting Quantum Atoms (IQAs). Kriging predicts atomic properties (in this case IQA energies) by a model that has been trained over a small set of geometries with known property values. The results presented here are part of the development of an advanced type of force field, called FFLUX, which offers quantum mechanical information to molecular dynamics simulations without the limiting computational cost of ab initio calculations. The results reported for the prediction of the IQA components of the energy in the test set exhibit an accuracy of a few kJ/mol, corresponding to an average error of less than 5%, even when a large cluster of water molecules surrounding an ion is considered. Ions represent an important chemical system and this work shows that they can be correctly taken into account in the framework of the FFLUX force field.

AB INITIO calculations of magneto-optical effects

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kuneš, Jan; Oppeneer, P. M.

2002-01-01

Roč. 2, - (2002), s. 141-146 ISSN 1346-7948 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1010214 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914 Keywords : electronic structure * ab initio calculation * polar magneto-optical Kerr effect * transitiom metal * uranium intermetallics * CrO 2 Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism
Augmented wave ab initio EFG calculations: some methodological warnings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Errico, Leonardo A.; Renteria, Mario; Petrilli, Helena M.

2007-01-01

We discuss some accuracy aspects inherent to ab initio electronic structure calculations in the understanding of nuclear quadrupole interactions. We use the projector augmented wave method to study the electric-field gradient (EFG) at both Sn and O sites in the prototype cases SnO and SnO 2 . The term ab initio is used in the standard context of the also called first principles methods in the framework of the Density Functional Theory. As the main contributions of EFG calculations to problems in condensed matter physics are related to structural characterizations on the atomic scale, we discuss the 'state of the art' on theoretical EFG calculations and make a brief critical review on the subject, calling attention to some fundamental theoretical aspects
Augmented wave ab initio EFG calculations: some methodological warnings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Errico, Leonardo A. [Departamento de Fisica-IFLP (CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, CC67 (1900) La Plata (Argentina); Renteria, Mario [Departamento de Fisica-IFLP (CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, CC67 (1900) La Plata (Argentina); Petrilli, Helena M. [Instituto de Fisica-DFMT, Universidade de Sao Paulo, C.P. 66318, 05315-970 Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: hmpetril@macbeth.if.usp.br

2007-02-01

We discuss some accuracy aspects inherent to ab initio electronic structure calculations in the understanding of nuclear quadrupole interactions. We use the projector augmented wave method to study the electric-field gradient (EFG) at both Sn and O sites in the prototype cases SnO and SnO{sub 2}. The term ab initio is used in the standard context of the also called first principles methods in the framework of the Density Functional Theory. As the main contributions of EFG calculations to problems in condensed matter physics are related to structural characterizations on the atomic scale, we discuss the 'state of the art' on theoretical EFG calculations and make a brief critical review on the subject, calling attention to some fundamental theoretical aspects.
Atomistic absorption spectra and non-adiabatic dynamics of the LH2 complex with a GPU-accelerated ab initio exciton model

Science.gov (United States)

Glowacki, David

Recently, we outlined an efficient multi-tiered parallel excitonic framework that utilizes time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) to calculate ground/excited state energies and gradients of large supramolecular complexes in atomistic detail. In this paper, we apply our ab initioexciton framework to the 27 coupled bacteriocholorophyll-a chromophores which make up the LH2 complex, using it to compute linear absorption spectra and short-time, on-the-fly nonadiabatic surface-hopping (SH) dynamics of electronically excited LH2. Our ab initio exciton model includes two key parameters whose values are determined by fitting to experiment: d, which is added to the diagonal elements, corrects for the error in TDDFT vertical excitation energies on a single chromophore; and e, which occurs on the off-diagonal matrix elements, describes the average dielectric screening of the inter-chromophore transition-dipole coupling. Using snapshots obtained from equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations (MD) of LH2, best-fit values of both d and e were obtained by fitting to the thermally broadened experimental absorption spectrum within the Frank-Condon approximation, providing a linear absorption spectrum that agrees reasonably well with the experimental observations. We follow the nonadiabatic dynamics using surface hopping to construct time-resolved visualizations of the EET dynamics in the sub-picosecond regime following photoexcitation. This provides some qualitative insight into the excitonic energy transfer (EET) that results from atomically resolved vibrational fluctuations of the chromophores. The dynamical picture that emerges is one of rapidly fluctuating eigenstates that are delocalized over multiple chromophores and undergo frequent crossing on a femtosecond timescale as a result of the underlying chromophore vibrational dynamics. The eigenstate fluctuations arise from disorder in both the diagonal chromophore site energies and the off-diagonal inter
Atomic carbon chains as spin-transmitters: An ab initio transport study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fürst, Joachim Alexander; Brandbyge, Mads; Jauho, Antti-Pekka

2010-01-01

An atomic carbon chain joining two graphene flakes was recently realized in a ground-breaking experiment by Jin et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett., 102 (2009) 205501). We present ab initio results for the electron transport properties of such chains and demonstrate complete spin-polarization of the transmi......An atomic carbon chain joining two graphene flakes was recently realized in a ground-breaking experiment by Jin et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett., 102 (2009) 205501). We present ab initio results for the electron transport properties of such chains and demonstrate complete spin...
Ab initio study on stacking sequences, free energy, dynamical stability and potential energy surfaces of graphite structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anees, P; Valsakumar, M C; Chandra, Sharat; Panigrahi, B K

2014-01-01

Ab initio simulations have been performed to study the structure, energetics and stability of several plausible stacking sequences in graphite. These calculations suggest that in addition to the standard structures, graphite can also exist in AA-simple hexagonal, AB-orthorhombic and ABC-hexagonal type stacking. The free energy difference between these structures is very small (∼1 meV/atom), and hence all the structures can coexist from purely energetic considerations. Calculated x-ray diffraction patterns are similar to those of the standard structures for 2θ ⩽ 70°. Shear elastic constant C 44 is negative in AA-simple hexagonal, AB-orthorhombic and ABC-hexagonal structures, suggesting that these structures are mechanically unstable. Phonon dispersions show that the frequencies of some modes along the Γ–A direction in the Brillouin zone are imaginary in all of the new structures, implying that these structures are dynamically unstable. Incorporation of zero point vibrational energy via the quasi-harmonic approximation does not result in the restoration of dynamical stability. Potential energy surfaces for the unstable normal modes are seen to have the topography of a potential hill for all the new structures, confirming that all of the new structures are inherently unstable. The fact that the potential energy surface is not in the form of a double well implies that the structures are linearly as well as globally unstable. (paper)
Ab initio transport across bismuth selenide surface barriers

KAUST Repository

Narayan, Awadhesh; Rungger, Ivan; Droghetti, Andrea; Sanvito, Stefano

2014-01-01

© 2014 American Physical Society. We investigate the effect of potential barriers in the form of step edges on the scattering properties of Bi2Se3(111) topological surface states by means of large-scale ab initio transport simulations. Our results
Effects of spin orbital coupling on atomic and electronic structures in Al{sub 2}Cu and Al{sub 2}Au crystal and liquid phases via ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Y. [International Center for New-Structured Materials (ICNSM), Laboratory of New-Structured Materials, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Lu, Y.H., E-mail: luyh@zju.edu.cn [International Center for New-Structured Materials (ICNSM), Laboratory of New-Structured Materials, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Wang, X.D.; Cao, Q.P. [International Center for New-Structured Materials (ICNSM), Laboratory of New-Structured Materials, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Zhang, D.X. [State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Jiang, J.Z., E-mail: jiangjz@zju.edu.cn [International Center for New-Structured Materials (ICNSM), Laboratory of New-Structured Materials, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

2014-11-15

Highlights: • The SOC effect affects the cohesion energy of crystal phase. • The effect of SOC was reduced due to random local atomic structures in liquids. • The local geometrical structures also affect the melting points. • Both SOC effect and local atomic structures are important for melting point difference. - Abstract: The origin of different melting points between Al{sub 2}Cu and Al{sub 2}Au has been studied using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Cohesive energy, electronic structures and structure information of both crystal and liquid phases have been analyzed. It is found that spin orbital coupling (SOC) plays an important role on the cohesive energy of crystal phase, consistent with the different melting points of these two alloys. Whereas, it seems that SOC has no effect on the formation energy and structure of liquid phase. Possible mechanism of reduced SOC effect at liquid phase is proposed. Our results are helpful to understand the glass formation ability difference between Al{sub 2}Cu and Al{sub 2}Au.
Ab Initio Analysis of Auger-Assisted Electron Transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyeon-Deuk, Kim; Kim, Joonghan; Prezhdo, Oleg V

2015-01-15

Quantum confinement in nanoscale materials allows Auger-type electron-hole energy exchange. We show by direct time-domain atomistic simulation and analytic theory that Auger processes give rise to a new mechanism of charge transfer (CT) on the nanoscale. Auger-assisted CT eliminates the renown Marcus inverted regime, rationalizing recent experiments on CT from quantum dots to molecular adsorbates. The ab initio simulation reveals a complex interplay of the electron-hole and charge-phonon channels of energy exchange, demonstrating a variety of CT scenarios. The developed Marcus rate theory for Auger-assisted CT describes, without adjustable parameters, the experimental plateau of the CT rate in the region of large donor-acceptor energy gap. The analytic theory and atomistic insights apply broadly to charge and energy transfer in nanoscale systems.
Ab initio molecular-orbital study on electron correlation effects in CuO6 clusters relating to high-Tc superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, S.; Yamaguchi, K.; Nasu, K.

1990-01-01

Ab initio molecular-orbital calculations for CuO 6 clusters have been performed to elucidate the electronic structures of undoped and doped copper oxides, which are of current interest in relation to high-T c superconductivity. The electron correlation effects for these species are thoroughly investigated by the full-valence configuration-interaction method and the complete-active-space self-consistent-field method. The electron correlation effect is relatively simple for the A g state (σ hole), whereas pair excitations and spin-flip excitations give sizable contributions to the configuration-interaction wave function for the B state (in-plane π hole). Implications of these results are discussed in relation to the mechanisms of the high-T c superconductivity
First principles molecular dynamics without self-consistent field optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souvatzis, Petros; Niklasson, Anders M. N.

2014-01-01

We present a first principles molecular dynamics approach that is based on time-reversible extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics [A. M. N. Niklasson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 123004 (2008)] in the limit of vanishing self-consistent field optimization. The optimization-free dynamics keeps the computational cost to a minimum and typically provides molecular trajectories that closely follow the exact Born-Oppenheimer potential energy surface. Only one single diagonalization and Hamiltonian (or Fockian) construction are required in each integration time step. The proposed dynamics is derived for a general free-energy potential surface valid at finite electronic temperatures within hybrid density functional theory. Even in the event of irregular functional behavior that may cause a dynamical instability, the optimization-free limit represents a natural starting guess for force calculations that may require a more elaborate iterative electronic ground state optimization. Our optimization-free dynamics thus represents a flexible theoretical framework for a broad and general class of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations
Structural, Dynamic, and Vibrational Properties during Heat Transfer in Si/Ge Superlattices: A Car-Parrinello Molecular Dynamics Study

OpenAIRE

Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen; Yang, Mo

2016-01-01

The structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during the heat transfer process in Si/Ge superlattices, are studied by analyzing the trajectories generated by the ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution functions and mean square displacements are calculated and further discussions are made to explain and probe the structural changes relating to the heat transfer phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrational density of states of the two layers (Si/Ge) ar...
Ab initio study of alanine polypeptide chain twisting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Solov'yov, Ilia; Yakubovich, Alexander V.; Solov'yov, Andrey V.

2006-01-01

chains. These particular degrees of freedom are essential for the characterization of the proteins folding process. Calculations have been carried out within the ab initio theoretical framework based on the density functional theory and accounting for all the electrons in the system. We have determined...
Ab initio simulation of dislocation cores in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ventelon, L.

2008-01-01

In the framework of the multi scale simulation of metals and alloys plasticity, the aim of this study is to develop a methodology of ab initio dislocations study and to apply it to the [111] screw dislocation in the bc iron. (A.L.B.)
Unraveling the structure of the h-BN/Rh(111) nanomesh with ab initio calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laskowski, R; Blaha, P

2008-01-01

The properties of a single layer of h-BN on top of a Rh(111) surface are discussed in terms of an ab initio generated force field approach as well as by direct ab initio density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. A single-layer model for the h-BN/Rh(111) nanomesh, in contrast to a previously considered (incomplete) double-layer model of h-BN, can explain the experimental data. The main focus of this work is to compare a force field approach described earlier in (Laskowski et al 2007 Phys. Rev. Lett. 98 106802) with direct ab initio calculations. The calculated geometry of the h-BN layer is very similar to the structure predicted by the force field approach. The ab initio calculated density of states projected on N-p x,y of BN corresponding to 'low' and 'high' regions with respect to the Rh surface shows a 1 eV splitting and thus explains the observed σ-band splitting. Moreover, we find good agreement between calculated and experimental scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images of this system
Extended Lagrangian Excited State Molecular Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjorgaard, J A; Sheppard, D; Tretiak, S; Niklasson, A M N

2018-02-13

An extended Lagrangian framework for excited state molecular dynamics (XL-ESMD) using time-dependent self-consistent field theory is proposed. The formulation is a generalization of the extended Lagrangian formulations for ground state Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics [Phys. Rev. Lett. 2008 100, 123004]. The theory is implemented, demonstrated, and evaluated using a time-dependent semiempirical model, though it should be generally applicable to ab initio theory. The simulations show enhanced energy stability and a significantly reduced computational cost associated with the iterative solutions of both the ground state and the electronically excited states. Relaxed convergence criteria can therefore be used both for the self-consistent ground state optimization and for the iterative subspace diagonalization of the random phase approximation matrix used to calculate the excited state transitions. The XL-ESMD approach is expected to enable numerically efficient excited state molecular dynamics for such methods as time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TD-HF), Configuration Interactions Singles (CIS), and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT).
Structural, dynamical, and electronic properties of amorphous silicon: An ab initio molecular dynamics study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Car, R.; Parrinello, M.

1988-01-18

An amorphous silicon structure is obtained with a computer simulation based on a new molecular-dynamics technique in which the interatomic potential is derived from a parameter-free quantum mechanical method. Our results for the atomic structure, the phonon spectrum, and the electronic properties are in excellent agreement with experiment. In addition we study details of the microscopic dynamics which are not directly accessible to experiment. We find in particular that structural defects are associated with weak bonds. These may give rise to low-frequency vibrational modes.
(4)He Thermophysical Properties: New Ab Initio Calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hurly, John J; Mehl, James B

2007-01-01

Since 2000, atomic physicists have reduced the uncertainty of the helium-helium "ab initio" potential; for example, from approximately 0.6 % to 0.1 % at 4 bohr, and from 0.8 % to 0.1 % at 5.6 bohr. These results led us to: (1) construct a new inter-atomic potential ϕ 07, (2) recalculate values of the second virial coefficient, the viscosity, and the thermal conductivity of (4)He from 1 K to 10,000 K, and (3), analyze the uncertainties of the thermophysical properties that propagate from the uncertainty of ϕ 07 and from the Born-Oppenheimer approximation of the electron-nucleon quantum mechanical system. We correct minor errors in a previous publication [J. J. Hurly and M. R. Moldover, J. Res. Nat. Inst. Standards Technol. 105, 667 (2000)] and compare our results with selected data published after 2000. The ab initio results tabulated here can serve as standards for the measurement of thermophysical properties.
Ab initio study of the EFG at the N sites in imidazole

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown Goncalves, Marcos, E-mail: browngon@if.usp.br [Universidade de Sao Paulo, Instituto de Fisica (Brazil); Di Felice, R. [National Center on Nanostructures and Biosystems at Surfaces (S3) of INFM-CNR (Italy); Poleshchuk, O. Kh. [Tomsk State Pedagogical University (Russian Federation); Petrilli, H. M. [Universidade de Sao Paulo, Instituto de Fisica (Brazil)

2008-01-15

We study the nuclear quadrupole interaction at the nitrogen sites in the molecular and crystalline phases of the imidazole compound. We use PAW which is a state-of-the-art method to calculate the electronic structure and electric field gradient at the nucleus in the framework of the density functional theory. The quadrupole frequencies at both imino and amino N sites are in excellent agreement with measurements. This is the first time that the electric field gradient at crystalline imidazole is correctly treated by an ab initio theoretical approach.
Steel — ab Initio: Quantum Mechanics Guided Design of New Fe-Based Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Prahl, Ulrich; Bleck, Wolfgang; Saeed-Akbari, Alireza

This contribution reports the results of the collaborative research unit SFB 761 "Steel — ab initio", a cooperative project between RWTH Aachen University and the Max-Planck-Institute for Iron Research in Düsseldorf (MPIE) financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG). For the first time, it is exploited how ab initio approaches may lead to a detailed understanding and thus to a specific improvement of material development. The challenge lies in the combination of abstract natural science theories with rather engineering-like established concepts. Aiming at the technological target of the development of a new type of structural materials based on Fe-Mn-C alloys, the combination of ab initio and engineering methods is new, but could be followed quite successfully. Three major topics are treated in this research unit: a) development of a new method for material- and process-development based on ab initio calculations; b) design of a new class of structural materials with extraordinary property combinations; c) acceleration of development time and reduction of experimental efforts and complexity for material- and process-development. In the present work, an overview of the results of the first five years as well as an outlook for the upcoming three-year period is given.

Atomistic insights into the nanosecond long amorphization and crystallization cycle of nanoscale G e2S b2T e5 : An ab initio molecular dynamics study

Science.gov (United States)

Branicio, Paulo S.; Bai, Kewu; Ramanarayan, H.; Wu, David T.; Sullivan, Michael B.; Srolovitz, David J.

2018-04-01

The complete process of amorphization and crystallization of the phase-change material G e2S b2T e5 is investigated using nanosecond ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Varying the quench rate during the amorphization phase of the cycle results in the generation of a variety of structures from entirely crystallized (-0.45 K/ps) to entirely amorphized (-16 K/ps). The 1.5-ns annealing simulations indicate that the crystallization process depends strongly on both the annealing temperature and the initial amorphous structure. The presence of crystal precursors (square rings) in the amorphous matrix enhances nucleation/crystallization kinetics. The simulation data are used to construct a combined continuous-cooling-transformation (CCT) and temperature-time-transformation (TTT) diagram. The nose of the CCT-TTT diagram corresponds to the minimum time for the onset of homogenous crystallization and is located at 600 K and 70 ps. That corresponds to a critical cooling rate for amorphization of -4.5 K/ps. The results, in excellent agreement with experimental observations, suggest that a strategy that utilizes multiple quench rates and annealing temperatures may be used to effectively optimize the reversible switching speed and enable fast and energy-efficient phase-change memories.
Ab Initio Calculations and Raman and SERS Spectral Analyses of Amphetamine Species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Rolf W.; Nørbygaard, Thomas; White, Peter C.

2011-01-01

For the first time, the differences between the spectra of amphetamine and amphetamine-H+ and between different conformers are thoroughly studied by ab initio model calculations, and Raman and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) spectra are measured for different species of amphetamine....... The spectra of amphetamine and amphetamine-H+ sampleswere obtained and assigned according to a comparison of the experimental spectra and the ab initio MO calculations, performed using the Gaussian 03W program (Gaussian, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA). The analyses were based on complete geometry minimization...
Exploring the ab initio/classical free energy perturbation method: The hydration free energy of water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakane, Shinichi; Yezdimer, Eric M.; Liu, Wenbin; Barriocanal, Jose A.; Doren, Douglas J.; Wood, Robert H.

2000-01-01

The ab initio/classical free energy perturbation (ABC-FEP) method proposed previously by Wood et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 110, 1329 (1999)] uses classical simulations to calculate solvation free energies within an empirical potential model, then applies free energy perturbation theory to determine the effect of changing the empirical solute-solvent interactions to corresponding interactions calculated from ab initio methods. This approach allows accurate calculation of solvation free energies using an atomistic description of the solvent and solute, with interactions calculated from first principles. Results can be obtained at a feasible computational cost without making use of approximations such as a continuum solvent or an empirical cavity formation energy. As such, the method can be used far from ambient conditions, where the empirical parameters needed for approximate theories of solvation may not be available. The sources of error in the ABC-FEP method are the approximations in the ab initio method, the finite sample of configurations, and the classical solvent model. This article explores the accuracy of various approximations used in the ABC-FEP method by comparing to the experimentally well-known free energy of hydration of water at two state points (ambient conditions, and 973.15 K and 600 kg/m3). The TIP4P-FQ model [J. Chem. Phys. 101, 6141 (1994)] is found to be a reliable solvent model for use with this method, even at supercritical conditions. Results depend strongly on the ab initio method used: a gradient-corrected density functional theory is not adequate, but a localized MP2 method yields excellent agreement with experiment. Computational costs are reduced by using a cluster approximation, in which ab initio pair interaction energies are calculated between the solute and up to 60 solvent molecules, while multi-body interactions are calculated with only a small cluster (5 to 12 solvent molecules). Sampling errors for the ab initio contribution to
Molecular determinants for drug-receptor interactions. Part 2. An ab initio molecular orbital and dipole moment study of the novel nootropic agent piracetam (2-oxopyrrolidin-1-ylacetamide)

Science.gov (United States)

Lumbroso, H.; Liégeois, C.; Pappalardo, G. C.; Grassi, A.

From the ab initio molecular energies of the possible conformers and from a classical dipole moment analysis of 2-oxopyrrolidin-l-ylacetamide (μ = 4.02 D in dioxan at 30.0°C), the preferred conformation in solution of this novel nootropic agent has been determined. The exocyclic N-CH 2 bond is rotated in one sense by 90° and the exocyclic CH 2-C bond rotated in the same sense by 120° from the "planar" ( OO)- cis conformation. The structures of the two enantiomers in solution differ from that of the crystalline molecule.
Conformational Change in the Mechanism of Inclusion of Ketoprofen in β-Cyclodextrin: NMR Spectroscopy, Ab Initio Calculations, Molecular Dynamics Simulations, and Photoreactivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzzo, T; Mandaliti, W; Nepravishta, R; Aramini, A; Bodo, E; Daidone, I; Allegretti, M; Topai, A; Paci, M

2016-10-11

Inclusion of drugs in cyclodextrins (CDs) is a recognized tool for modifying several properties such as solubility, stability, bioavailability, and so on. The photoreactive behavior of the β-CD/ketoprofen (KP) complex upon UV exposure showed a significant increase in photodecarboxylation, whereas the secondary degradation products by hydroxylation of the benzophenone moiety were inhibited. The results may account for an improvement of KP photophysical properties upon inclusion, thus better fostering its topical use. To correlate the structural details of the inclusion with these results, an NMR spectroscopic study of KP upon inclusion in β-CD was performed. Effects of the magnetically anisotropic centers of KP, changing their orientations upon inclusion and giving chemical shift variations, were specifically correlated with the results of the molecular dynamic simulations and ab initio calculations. In the large variety of papers focusing on the structural analysis of β-CD complexes, this work represents one of the few examples in which a detailed analysis of these simultaneous upfield-downfield NMR shifts of the same aromatic molecule upon inclusion is reported. Interestingly, the results demonstrate that the observed upfield and downfield shifts upon inclusion are not related to any direct magnetic role of β-CD. The conformational change of KP upon the inclusion process consists of a slight reduction in the angle between the two phenyl rings and in a remarkable reduction in the mobility of the carboxyl group, the latter being one of the main contributions to the NMR resonance shifts. These structural details help in understanding the features of the inclusion complex and, eventually, the driving force for its formation.
Ab Initio Predictions of Structures and Densities of Energetic Solids

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Rice, Betsy M; Sorescu, Dan C

2004-01-01

We have applied a powerful simulation methodology known as ab initio crystal prediction to assess the ability of a generalized model of CHNO intermolecular interactions to predict accurately crystal...
Matrix product operators, matrix product states, and ab initio density matrix renormalization group algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Garnet Kin-Lic; Keselman, Anna; Nakatani, Naoki; Li, Zhendong; White, Steven R.

2016-07-01

Current descriptions of the ab initio density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) algorithm use two superficially different languages: an older language of the renormalization group and renormalized operators, and a more recent language of matrix product states and matrix product operators. The same algorithm can appear dramatically different when written in the two different vocabularies. In this work, we carefully describe the translation between the two languages in several contexts. First, we describe how to efficiently implement the ab initio DMRG sweep using a matrix product operator based code, and the equivalence to the original renormalized operator implementation. Next we describe how to implement the general matrix product operator/matrix product state algebra within a pure renormalized operator-based DMRG code. Finally, we discuss two improvements of the ab initio DMRG sweep algorithm motivated by matrix product operator language: Hamiltonian compression, and a sum over operators representation that allows for perfect computational parallelism. The connections and correspondences described here serve to link the future developments with the past and are important in the efficient implementation of continuing advances in ab initio DMRG and related algorithms.
Dispersion and Solvation Effects on the Structure and Dynamics of N719 Adsorbed to Anatase Titania (101) Surfaces in Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids: An ab Initio Molecular Simulation Study

KAUST Repository

Byrne, Aaron

2015-12-24

Ab initio, density functional theory (DFT)-based molecular dynamics (MD) has been carried out to investigate the effect of explicit solvation on the dynamical and structural properties of a [bmim][NTf2] room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), solvating a N719 sensitizing dye adsorbed onto an anatase titania (101) surface. The effect of explicit dispersion on the properties of this dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) interface has also been studied. Upon inclusion of dispersion interactions in simulations of the solvated system, the average separation between the cations and anions decreases by 0.6 Å; the mean distance between the cations and the surface decreases by about 0.5 Å; and the layering of the RTIL is significantly altered in the first layer surrounding the dye, with the cation being on average 1.5 Å further from the center of the dye. Inclusion of dispersion effects when a solvent is not explicitly included (to dampen longer-range interactions) can result in unphysical "kinking" of the adsorbed dye\\'s configuration. The inclusion of solvent shifts the HOMO and LUMO levels of the titania surface by +3 eV. At this interface, the interplay between the effects of dispersion and solvation combines in ways that are often subtle, such as enhancement or inhibition of specific vibrational modes. © 2015 American Chemical Society.
Ab initio study on electron excitation and electron transfer in tryptophan-tyrosine system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tong Jing; Li Xiangyuan

2002-01-01

In this article, ab initio calculation has been performed to evaluate the transition energy of electronic excitation in tryptophan and tyrosine by using semiempirical molecular orbital method AM1 and complete active space self-consistent field method. The solvent effect has been considered by means of the conductor-like screening model. After geometric optimizations of isolated tryptophan and tyrosine, and their corresponding radicals and cations, reaction heat of these electron transfer reactions have been obtained by the means of complete active space self-consistent field method. The transition energies from the ground state, respectively, to the lowest excited state and to the lowest triplet state of these two amino acids are also calculated and compared with the experimentally observed values. The ionization potential and electron affinity are also calculated for tryptophan and tyrosine employing Koopmans' theorem and ab initio calculation. Compared with the experimental measurements, the theoretical results are found satisfactory. Theoretical results give good explanations on the experimental phenomena that N 3 · can preferably oxide the side chain of tryptophan residue and then the electron transfer from tyrosine residue to tryptophan residue follows in peptides involving tryptophan and tyrosine
Short-range order in ab initio computer generated amorphous and liquid Cu–Zr alloys: A new approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galván-Colín, Jonathan; Valladares, Ariel A.; Valladares, Renela M.; Valladares, Alexander

2015-01-01

Using ab initio molecular dynamics and a new approach based on the undermelt-quench method we generated amorphous and liquid samples of Cu x Zr 100−x (x=64, 50, 36) alloys. We characterized the topology of our resulting structures by means of the pair distribution function and the bond-angle distribution; a coordination number distribution was also calculated. Our results for both amorphous and liquids agree well with experiment. Dependence of short-range order with the concentration is reported. We found that icosahedron-like geometry plays a major role whenever the alloys are Cu-rich or Zr-rich disregarding if the samples are amorphous or liquid. The validation of these results, in turn would let us calculate other properties so far disregarded in the literature
Ab initio molecular orbital and infrared spectroscopic study of the conformation of secondary amides: derivatives of formanilide, acetanilide and benzylamides

Science.gov (United States)

Ilieva, S.; Hadjieva, B.; Galabov, B.

1999-09-01

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations at HF/4-31G level and infrared spectroscopic data for the frequencies are applied to analyse the grouping in a series model aromatic secondary amides: formanilide; acetanilide; o-methylacetanilide; 2,6-dimethylformanilide, 2,6-dimethylacetanilide; N-benzylacetamide and N-benzylformamide. The theoretical and experimental data obtained show that the conformational state of the molecules studied is determined by the fine balance of several intramolecular factors: resonance effect between the amide group and the aromatic ring, steric interaction between various substituents around the -NH-CO- grouping in the aromatic ring, conjugation between the carbonyl bond and the nitrogen lone pair as well as direct field influences inside the amide group.
Geometry optimization of supersymmetrical molecules in quantum chemical ab-initio calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruenbichler, H.

1985-01-01

One-dimensional geometry optimizations in ab-initio SCF-calculations are investigated. It is shown, that the well known standard algorithms are sometimes too expensive and can be replaced or accompanied by more recent algorithms. Two alternatives were realized in the molecule calculating program GAUSSIAN 80, basing on the Fibonacci algorithm and Kryachco potential adjustment. The algorithms were compared in terms of accuracy of results, CPU-time used and reliability of the method. The results are presented in various tables, showing the efficiency of the various methods. A survey of the usual model potentials is given and the compatibility with ab-initio data is evaluated. (Author, shortened and translated by A.N.)
Interpretation of the U L3-edge EXAFS in uranium dioxide using molecular dynamics and density functional theory simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bocharov, Dmitry; Chollet, Melanie; Krack, Matthias; Bertsch, Johannes; Grolimund, Daniel; Martin, Matthias; Kuzmin, Alexei; Purans, Juris; Kotomin, Eugene

2016-01-01

X-ray absorption spectroscopy is employed to study the local structure of pure and Cr-doped UO 2 at 300 K. The U L 3 -edge EXAFS spectrum is interpreted within the multiplescattering (MS) theory using the results of the classical and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, allowing us to validate the accuracy of theoretical models. The Cr K-edge XANES is simulated within the full-multiple-scattering formalism considering a substitutional model (Cr at U site). It is shown that both unrelaxed and relaxed structures, produced by ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations, fail to describe the experiment. (paper)
Ab initio effective core potentials for molecular calculations. Potentials for the transition metal atoms Sc to Hg

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hay, P.J.; Wadt, W.R.

1985-01-01

Ab initio effective core potentials (ECP's) have been generated to replace the Coulomb, exchange, and core-orthogonality effects of the chemically inert core electron in the transition metal atoms Sc to Hg. For the second and third transition series relative ECP's have been generated which also incorporate the mass--velocity and Darwin relativistic effects into the potential. The ab initio ECP's should facilitate valence electron calculations on molecules containing transition-metal atoms with accuracies approaching all-electron calculations at a fraction of the computational cost. Analytic fits to the potentials are presented for use in multicenter integral evaluation. Gaussian orbital valence basis sets are developed for the (3d,4s,4p), (4d,5s,5p), and (5d,6s,6p) orbitals of the first, second, and third transition series atoms, respectively. All-electron and valence-electron atomic excitation energies are also compared for the low-lying states of Sc--Hg, and the valence-electron calculations are found to reproduce the all-electron excitation energies (typically within a few tenths of an eV)
Vibrational inelastic and charge transfer processes in H++H2 system: An ab initio study

Science.gov (United States)

Amaran, Saieswari; Kumar, Sanjay

2007-12-01

State-resolved differential cross sections, total and integral cross sections, average vibrational energy transfer, and the relative probabilities are computed for the H++H2 system using the newly obtained ab initio potential energy surfaces at the full CI/cc-pVQZ level of accuracy which allow for both the direct vibrational inelastic and the charge transfer processes. The quantum dynamics is treated within the vibrational close-coupling infinite-order-sudden approximation approach using the two ab initio quasidiabatic potential energy surfaces. The computed collision attributes for both the processes are compared with the available state-to-state scattering experiments at Ec.m.=20eV. The results are in overall good agreement with most of the observed scattering features such as rainbow positions, integral cross sections, and relative vibrational energy transfers. A comparison with the earlier theoretical study carried out on the semiempirical surfaces (diatomics in molecules) is also made to illustrate the reliability of the potential energy surfaces used in the present work.
Inelastic neutron scattering an ab-initio calculation of negative thermal expansion in Ag2O

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, M.K.; Mittal, R.; Rols, S.; Chaplot, S.L.

2012-01-01

The compound Ag 2 O undergoes large and isotropic negative thermal expansion over 0-500 K. We report temperature dependent inelastic neutron scattering measurements and ab-initio calculations of the phonon spectrum. The temperature dependence of the experimental phonon spectrum shows strong anharmonic nature of phonon modes of energy around 2.4 meV. The ab-initio calculations reveal that the maximum negative Grüneisen parameter, which is a measure of the relevant anharmonicity, occurs for the transverse phonon modes that involve bending motions of the Ag 4 O tetrahedra. The thermal expansion is evaluated from the ab-initio calculation of the pressure dependence of the phonon modes, and found in good agreement with available experimental data.
Benefits of Parallel I/O in Ab Initio Nuclear Physics Calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laghave, Nikhil; Sosonkina, Masha; Maris, Pieter; Vary, James P.

2009-01-01

Many modern scientific applications rely on highly parallel calculations, which scale to 10's of thousands processors. However, most applications do not concentrate on parallelizing input/output operations. In particular, sequential I/O has been identified as a bottleneck for the highly scalable MFDn (Many Fermion Dynamics for nuclear structure) code performing ab initio nuclear structure calculations. In this paper, we develop interfaces and parallel I/O procedures to use a well-known parallel I/O library in MFDn. As a result, we gain efficient input/output of large datasets along with their portability and ease of use in the downstream processing.
Sphinx: merging knowledge-based and ab initio approaches to improve protein loop prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Marks, Claire; Nowak, Jaroslaw; Klostermann, Stefan; Georges, Guy; Dunbar, James; Shi, Jiye; Kelm, Sebastian; Deane, Charlotte M

2017-05-01

Loops are often vital for protein function, however, their irregular structures make them difficult to model accurately. Current loop modelling algorithms can mostly be divided into two categories: knowledge-based, where databases of fragments are searched to find suitable conformations and ab initio, where conformations are generated computationally. Existing knowledge-based methods only use fragments that are the same length as the target, even though loops of slightly different lengths may adopt similar conformations. Here, we present a novel method, Sphinx, which combines ab initio techniques with the potential extra structural information contained within loops of a different length to improve structure prediction. We show that Sphinx is able to generate high-accuracy predictions and decoy sets enriched with near-native loop conformations, performing better than the ab initio algorithm on which it is based. In addition, it is able to provide predictions for every target, unlike some knowledge-based methods. Sphinx can be used successfully for the difficult problem of antibody H3 prediction, outperforming RosettaAntibody, one of the leading H3-specific ab initio methods, both in accuracy and speed. Sphinx is available at http://opig.stats.ox.ac.uk/webapps/sphinx. deane@stats.ox.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.
Computational methods for ab initio detection of microRNAs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malik eYousef

2012-10-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs are small RNA sequences of 18-24 nucleotides in length, which serve as templates to drive post transcriptional gene silencing. The canonical microRNA pathway starts with transcription from DNA and is followed by processing via the Microprocessor complex, yielding a hairpin structure. Which is then exported into the cytosol where it is processed by Dicer and then incorporated into the RNA induced silencing complex. All of these biogenesis steps add to the overall specificity of miRNA production and effect. Unfortunately, their modes of action are just beginning to be elucidated and therefore computational prediction algorithms cannot model the process but are usually forced to employ machine learning approaches. This work focuses on ab initio prediction methods throughout; and therefore homology-based miRNA detection methods are not discussed. Current ab initio prediction algorithms, their ties to data mining, and their prediction accuracy are detailed.
Water-mediated tautomerization of cytosine to the rare imino form: An ab initio dynamics study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fogarasi, Geza [Institute of Chemistry, Eotvos University, H-1518 Budapest, Pf. 32. (Hungary)], E-mail: fg@chem.elte.hu

2008-06-16

Tautomerism in nucleotide bases is one of the possible mechanisms of mutation of DNA. In spite of numerous studies on the structure and energy of cytosine tautomers, little information is available on the process of proton transfer itself. We present here Born-Oppenheimer dynamics calculations, with the potential surface obtained 'on the fly' from ab initio quantum chemistry (QC) and the atoms moving classically. In search for water-mediated tautomerization the monohydrated complex was studied, running about 300 trajectories each of 3000-5000 points of 1 fs steps. One single trajectory has been found to lead to tautomerization. Although the QC method used in the simulations was inevitably modest (B3LYP/3-21G), higher-level test calculations along the same trajectory suggest that the simulation grasped the basic mechanism of proton transfer: a concerted, synchronous process characterized by strong coupling between the motions of the two participating hydrogen atoms.

Structure and dynamics of hydrated Fe(II) and Fe(III) ions. Quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Remsungnen, T.

2002-11-01

Classical molecular dynamics (MD) and combined em ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical molecular dynamics (QM/MM-MD) simulations have been performed to investigate structural, dynamical and energetical properties of Fe(II), and Fe(III) transition metal ions in aqueous solution. In the QM/MM-MD simulations the ion and its first hydration sphere were treated at the Hartree-Fock ab initio quantum mechanical level, while ab initio generated pair plus three-body potentials were employed for the remaining system. For the classical MD simulation the pair plus three-body potential were employed for all ion-water interactions. The coordination number of the first hydration shell is 100 % of 6 in both cases. The number of waters in the second hydration shell obtained from classical simulations are 13.4 and 15.1 for Fe(II) and Fe(III), respectively, while QM/MM-MD gives the values of 12.4 and 13.4 for Fe(II) and Fe(III). The energies of hydration obtained from MD and QM/MM-MD for Fe(II) are 520 and 500 kcal/mol, and for Fe(III) 1160 and 1100 kcal/mol respectively. The mean residence times of water in the second shell obtained from QM/MM-MD are 24 and 48 ps for Fe(II) and Fe(III), respectively. In contrast to the data obtained from classical MD simulation, the QM/MM-MD values are all in good agreement with the experimental data available. These investigations and results clearly indicate that many-body effects are essential for the proper description of all properties of the aqueous solution of both Fe(II) and Fe(III) ions. (author)
On the full exploitation of symmetry in periodic (as well as molecular) self-consistent-field ab initio calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orlando, Roberto, E-mail: roberto.orlando@unito.it; Erba, Alessandro; Dovesi, Roberto [Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Torino and NIS, Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces, Centre of Excellence, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino (Italy); De La Pierre, Marco [Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Torino and NIS, Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces, Centre of Excellence, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino (Italy); Nanochemistry Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia); Zicovich-Wilson, Claudio M. [Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad, 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62209 Cuernavaca (Morelos) (Mexico)

2014-09-14

Use of symmetry can dramatically reduce the computational cost (running time and memory allocation) of self-consistent-field ab initio calculations for molecular and crystalline systems. Crucial for running time is symmetry exploitation in the evaluation of one- and two-electron integrals, diagonalization of the Fock matrix at selected points in reciprocal space, reconstruction of the density matrix. As regards memory allocation, full square matrices (overlap, Fock, and density) in the Atomic Orbital (AO) basis are avoided and a direct transformation from the packed AO to the symmetry adapted crystalline orbital basis is performed, so that the largest matrix to be handled has the size of the largest sub-block in the latter basis. Quantitative examples, referring to the implementation in the CRYSTAL code, are given for high symmetry families of compounds such as carbon fullerenes and nanotubes.
Shear stiffness in nanolaminar Ti3SiC2 challenges ab initio calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kisi, E H; Zhang, J F; Kirstein, O; Riley, D P; Styles, M J; Paradowska, A M

2010-01-01

Nanolaminates such as the M n+1 AX n (MAX) phases are a material class with ab initio derived elasticity tensors published for over 250 compounds. We have for the first time experimentally determined the full elasticity tensor of the archetype MAX phase, Ti 3 SiC 2 , using polycrystalline samples and in situ neutron diffraction. The experimental elastic constants show extreme shear stiffness, with c 44 more than five times greater than expected for an isotropic material. Such shear stiffness is quite rare in hexagonal materials and strongly contradicts the predictions of all published MAX phase elastic constants derived from ab initio calculations. It is concluded that second order properties such as elastic moduli derived from ab initio calculations require careful experimental verification. The diffraction technique used currently provides the only method of verification for the elasticity tensor for the majority of new materials where single crystals are not available. (fast track communication)
Proper construction of ab initio global potential surfaces with accurate long-range interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, Tak-San; Rabitz, Herschel

2000-01-01

An efficient procedure based on the reproducing kernel Hilbert space interpolation method is presented for constructing intermolecular potential energy surfaces (PES) using not only calculated ab initio data but also a priori information on long-range interactions. Explicitly, use of the reciprocal power reproducing kernel on the semiinfinite interval [0,∞) yields a set of exact linear relations between dispersion (multipolar) coefficients and PES data points at finite internuclear separations. Consequently, given a combined set of ab initio data and the values of dispersion (multipolar) coefficients, the potential interpolation problem subject to long-range interaction constraints can be solved to render globally smooth, asymptotically accurate ab initio potential energy surfaces. Very good results have been obtained for the one-dimensional He-He potential curve and the two-dimensional Ne-CO PES. The construction of the Ne-CO PES was facilitated by invoking a new reproducing kernel for the angular coordinate based on the optimally stable and shape-preserving Bernstein basis functions. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics
Ab initio calculations and modelling of atomic cluster structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Solov'yov, Ilia; Lyalin, Andrey G.; Solov'yov, Andrey V.

2004-01-01

The optimized structure and electronic properties of small sodium and magnesium clusters have been investigated using it ab initio theoretical methods based on density-functional theory and post-Hartree-Fock many-body perturbation theory accounting for all electrons in the system. A new theoretical...
Large-scale ab initio configuration interaction calculations for light nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maris, Pieter; Potter, Hugh; Vary, James P; Aktulga, H Metin; Ng, Esmond G; Yang Chao; Caprio, Mark A; Çatalyürek, Ümit V; Saule, Erik; Oryspayev, Dossay; Sosonkina, Masha; Zhou Zheng

2012-01-01

In ab-initio Configuration Interaction calculations, the nuclear wavefunction is expanded in Slater determinants of single-nucleon wavefunctions and the many-body Schrodinger equation becomes a large sparse matrix problem. The challenge is to reach numerical convergence to within quantified numerical uncertainties for physical observables using finite truncations of the infinite-dimensional basis space. We discuss strategies for constructing and solving the resulting large sparse matrix eigenvalue problems on current multicore computer architectures. Several of these strategies have been implemented in the code MFDn, a hybrid MPI/OpenMP Fortran code for ab-initio nuclear structure calculations that can scale to 100,000 cores and more. Finally, we will conclude with some recent results for 12 C including emerging collective phenomena such as rotational band structures using SRG evolved chiral N3LO interactions.
Ab Initio Symmetry-Adapted No-Core Shell Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Draayer, J P; Dytrych, T; Launey, K D

2011-01-01

A multi-shell extension of the Elliott SU(3) model, the SU(3) symmetry-adapted version of the no-core shell model (SA-NCSM), is described. The significance of this SA-NCSM emerges from the physical relevance of its SU(3)-coupled basis, which – while it naturally manages center-of-mass spuriosity – provides a microscopic description of nuclei in terms of mixed shape configurations. Since typically configurations of maximum spatial deformation dominate, only a small part of the model space suffices to reproduce the low-energy nuclear dynamics and hence, offers an effective symmetry-guided framework for winnowing of model space. This is based on our recent findings of low-spin and high-deformation dominance in realistic NCSM results and, in turn, holds promise to significantly enhance the reach of ab initio shell models.
Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics of Uranium Incorporated in Goethite (α-FeOOH): Interpretation of X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of Trace Polyvalent Metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerisit, Sebastien; Bylaska, Eric J; Massey, Michael S; McBriarty, Martin E; Ilton, Eugene S

2016-11-21

Incorporation of economically or environmentally consequential polyvalent metals into iron (oxyhydr)oxides has applications in environmental chemistry, remediation, and materials science. A primary tool for characterizing the local coordination environment of such metals, and therefore building models to predict their behavior, is extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS). Accurate structural information can be lacking yet is required to constrain and inform data interpretation. In this regard, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) was used to calculate the local coordination environment of minor amounts of U incorporated in the structure of goethite (α-FeOOH). U oxidation states (VI, V, and IV) and charge compensation schemes were varied. Simulated trajectories were used to calculate the U L III -edge EXAFS function and fit experimental EXAFS data for U incorporated into goethite under reducing conditions. Calculations that closely matched the U EXAFS of the well-characterized mineral uraninite (UO 2 ), and constrained the S 0 2 parameter to be 0.909, validated the approach. The results for the U-goethite system indicated that U(V) substituted for structural Fe(III) in octahedral uranate coordination. Charge balance was achieved by the loss of one structural proton coupled to addition of one electron into the solid (-1 H + , +1 e - ). The ability of AIMD to model higher energy states thermally accessible at room temperature is particularly relevant for protonated systems such as goethite, where proton transfers between adjacent octahedra had a dramatic effect on the calculated EXAFS. Vibrational effects as a function of temperature were also estimated using AIMD, allowing separate quantification of thermal and configurational disorder. In summary, coupling AIMD structural modeling and EXAFS experiments enables modeling of the redox behavior of polyvalent metals that are incorporated in conductive materials such as iron (oxyhydr)oxides, with
Perovskite Quantum Dots Modeled Using ab Initio and Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics

KAUST Repository

Buin, Andrei; Comin, Riccardo; Ip, Alexander H.; Sargent, Edward H.

2015-01-01

© 2015 American Chemical Society. Organometal halide perovskites have recently attracted tremendous attention at both the experimental and theoretical levels. Much of this work has been dedicated to bulk material studies, yet recent experimental work has shown the formation of highly efficient quantum-confined nanocrystals with tunable band edges. Here we investigate perovskite quantum dots from theory, predicting an upper bound of the Bohr radius of 45 Å that agrees well with literature values. When the quantum dots are stoichiometric, they are trap-free and have nearly symmetric contributions to confinement from the valence and conduction bands. We further show that surface-associated conduction bandedge states in perovskite nanocrystals lie below the bulk states, which could explain the difference in Urbach tails between mesoporous and planar perovskite films. In addition to conventional molecular dynamics (MD), we implement an enhanced phase-space sampling algorithm, replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD). We find that in simulation of methylammonium orientation and global minima, REMD outperforms conventional MD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first REMD implementation for realistic-sized systems in the realm of DFT calculations.
Perovskite Quantum Dots Modeled Using ab Initio and Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics

KAUST Repository

Buin, Andrei

2015-06-18

© 2015 American Chemical Society. Organometal halide perovskites have recently attracted tremendous attention at both the experimental and theoretical levels. Much of this work has been dedicated to bulk material studies, yet recent experimental work has shown the formation of highly efficient quantum-confined nanocrystals with tunable band edges. Here we investigate perovskite quantum dots from theory, predicting an upper bound of the Bohr radius of 45 Å that agrees well with literature values. When the quantum dots are stoichiometric, they are trap-free and have nearly symmetric contributions to confinement from the valence and conduction bands. We further show that surface-associated conduction bandedge states in perovskite nanocrystals lie below the bulk states, which could explain the difference in Urbach tails between mesoporous and planar perovskite films. In addition to conventional molecular dynamics (MD), we implement an enhanced phase-space sampling algorithm, replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD). We find that in simulation of methylammonium orientation and global minima, REMD outperforms conventional MD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first REMD implementation for realistic-sized systems in the realm of DFT calculations.
Ab initio results for intermediate-mass, open-shell nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Robert B.; Dytrych, Tomas; Launey, Kristina D.; Draayer, Jerry P.

2017-01-01

A theoretical understanding of nuclei in the intermediate-mass region is vital to astrophysical models, especially for nucleosynthesis. Here, we employ the ab initio symmetry-adapted no-core shell model (SA-NCSM) in an effort to push first-principle calculations across the sd-shell region. The ab initio SA-NCSM's advantages come from its ability to control the growth of model spaces by including only physically relevant subspaces, which allows us to explore ultra-large model spaces beyond the reach of other methods. We report on calculations for 19Ne and 20Ne up through 13 harmonic oscillator shells using realistic interactions and discuss the underlying structure as well as implications for various astrophysical reactions. This work was supported by the U.S. NSF (OCI-0904874 and ACI -1516338) and the U.S. DOE (DE-SC0005248), and also benefitted from the Blue Waters sustained-petascale computing project and high performance computing resources provided by LSU.
Ab Initio Many-Body Calculations Of Nucleon-Nucleus Scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quaglioni, S; Navratil, P

2008-12-17

We develop a new ab initio many-body approach capable of describing simultaneously both bound and scattering states in light nuclei, by combining the resonating-group method with the use of realistic interactions, and a microscopic and consistent description of the nucleon clusters. This approach preserves translational symmetry and Pauli principle. We outline technical details and present phase shift results for neutron scattering on {sup 3}H, {sup 4}He and {sup 10}Be and proton scattering on {sup 3,4}He, using realistic nucleon-nucleon (NN) potentials. Our A = 4 scattering results are compared to earlier ab initio calculations. We find that the CD-Bonn NN potential in particular provides an excellent description of nucleon-{sup 4}He S-wave phase shifts. We demonstrate that a proper treatment of the coupling to the n-{sup 10}Be continuum is successful in explaining the parity-inverted ground state in {sup 11}Be.
Elucidating the breathing of the metal-organic framework MIL-53(Sc) with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and in situ X-ray powder diffraction experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Linjiang; Mowat, John P S; Fairen-Jimenez, David; Morrison, Carole A; Thompson, Stephen P; Wright, Paul A; Düren, Tina

2013-10-23

Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations have been used to predict structural transitions of the breathing metal-organic framework (MOF) MIL-53(Sc) in response to changes in temperature over the range 100-623 K and adsorption of CO2 at 0-0.9 bar at 196 K. The method has for the first time been shown to predict successfully both temperature-dependent structural changes and the structural response to variable sorbate uptake of a flexible MOF. AIMD employing dispersion-corrected density functional theory accurately simulated the experimentally observed closure of MIL-53(Sc) upon solvent removal and the transition of the empty MOF from the closed-pore phase to the very-narrow-pore phase (symmetry change from P2(1)/c to C2/c) with increasing temperature, indicating that it can directly take into account entropic as well as enthalpic effects. We also used AIMD simulations to mimic the CO2 adsorption of MIL-53(Sc) in silico by allowing the MIL-53(Sc) framework to evolve freely in response to CO2 loadings corresponding to the two steps in the experimental adsorption isotherm. The resulting structures enabled the structure determination of the two CO2-containing intermediate and large-pore phases observed by experimental synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies with increasing CO2 pressure; this would not have been possible for the intermediate structure via conventional methods because of diffraction peak broadening. Furthermore, the strong and anisotropic peak broadening observed for the intermediate structure could be explained in terms of fluctuations of the framework predicted by the AIMD simulations. Fundamental insights from the molecular-level interactions further revealed the origin of the breathing of MIL-53(Sc) upon temperature variation and CO2 adsorption. These simulations illustrate the power of the AIMD method for the prediction and understanding of the behavior of flexible microporous solids.
Implementation of surface hopping molecular dynamics using semiempirical methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabiano, E.; Keal, T.W.; Thiel, W.

2008-01-01

A molecular dynamics driver and surface hopping algorithm for nonadiabatic dynamics has been implemented in a development version of the MNDO semiempirical electronic structure package. The required energies, gradients and nonadiabatic couplings are efficiently evaluated on the fly using semiempirical configuration interaction methods. The choice of algorithms for the time evolution of the nuclear motion and quantum amplitudes is discussed, and different schemes for the computation of nonadiabatic couplings are analysed. The importance of molecular orbital tracking and electronic state following is underlined in the context of configuration interaction calculations. The method is applied to three case studies (ethylene, methaniminium ion, and methanimine) using the orthogonalization corrected OM2 Hamiltonian. In all three cases decay times and dynamics paths similar to high-level ab initio results are obtained
Action-Derived Molecular Dynamics in the Study of Rare Events

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Passerone, Daniele; Parrinello, Michele

2001-09-03

We present a practical method to generate classical trajectories with fixed initial and final boundary conditions. Our method is based on the minimization of a suitably defined discretized action. The method finds its most natural application in the study of rare events. Its capabilities are illustrated by nontrivial examples. The algorithm lends itself to straightforward parallelization, and when combined with ab initio molecular dynamics it promises to offer a powerful tool for the study of chemical reactions.
Action-Derived Molecular Dynamics in the Study of Rare Events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Passerone, Daniele; Parrinello, Michele

2001-01-01

We present a practical method to generate classical trajectories with fixed initial and final boundary conditions. Our method is based on the minimization of a suitably defined discretized action. The method finds its most natural application in the study of rare events. Its capabilities are illustrated by nontrivial examples. The algorithm lends itself to straightforward parallelization, and when combined with ab initio molecular dynamics it promises to offer a powerful tool for the study of chemical reactions
Reaction dynamics of molecular hydrogen on silicon surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bratu, P.; Brenig, W.; Gross, A.

1996-01-01

of the preexponential factor by about one order of magnitude per lateral degree of freedom. Molecular vibrations have practically no effect on the adsorption/desorption dynamics itself, but lead to vibrational heating in desorption with a strong isotope effect. Ab initio calculations for the H-2 interaction...... between the two surfaces. These results indicate that tunneling, molecular vibrations, and the structural details of the surface play only a minor role for the adsorption dynamics. Instead, they appear to be governed by the localized H-Si bonding and Si-Si lattice vibrations. Theoretically, an effective......Experimental and theoretical results on the dynamics of dissociative adsorption and recombinative desorption of hydrogen on silicon are presented. Using optical second-harmonic generation, extremely small sticking probabilities in the range 10(-9)-10(-5) could be measured for H-2 and D-2 on Si(111...
Short-range order in ab initio computer generated amorphous and liquid Cu–Zr alloys: A new approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galván-Colín, Jonathan, E-mail: jgcolin@ciencias.unam.mx [Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-360, México, D.F. 04510, México (Mexico); Valladares, Ariel A., E-mail: valladar@unam.mx [Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-360, México, D.F. 04510, México (Mexico); Valladares, Renela M.; Valladares, Alexander [Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-542, México, D.F. 04510, México (Mexico)

2015-10-15

Using ab initio molecular dynamics and a new approach based on the undermelt-quench method we generated amorphous and liquid samples of Cu{sub x}Zr{sub 100−x} (x=64, 50, 36) alloys. We characterized the topology of our resulting structures by means of the pair distribution function and the bond-angle distribution; a coordination number distribution was also calculated. Our results for both amorphous and liquids agree well with experiment. Dependence of short-range order with the concentration is reported. We found that icosahedron-like geometry plays a major role whenever the alloys are Cu-rich or Zr-rich disregarding if the samples are amorphous or liquid. The validation of these results, in turn would let us calculate other properties so far disregarded in the literature.
Mirnacle: machine learning with SMOTE and random forest for improving selectivity in pre-miRNA ab initio prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Yuri Bento; de Paiva Oliveira, Alcione; Ribeiro Vasconcelos, Ana Tereza; Cerqueira, Fabio Ribeiro

2016-12-15

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key gene expression regulators in plants and animals. Therefore, miRNAs are involved in several biological processes, making the study of these molecules one of the most relevant topics of molecular biology nowadays. However, characterizing miRNAs in vivo is still a complex task. As a consequence, in silico methods have been developed to predict miRNA loci. A common ab initio strategy to find miRNAs in genomic data is to search for sequences that can fold into the typical hairpin structure of miRNA precursors (pre-miRNAs). The current ab initio approaches, however, have selectivity issues, i.e., a high number of false positives is reported, which can lead to laborious and costly attempts to provide biological validation. This study presents an extension of the ab initio method miRNAFold, with the aim of improving selectivity through machine learning techniques, namely, random forest combined with the SMOTE procedure that copes with imbalance datasets. By comparing our method, termed Mirnacle, with other important approaches in the literature, we demonstrate that Mirnacle substantially improves selectivity without compromising sensitivity. For the three datasets used in our experiments, our method achieved at least 97% of sensitivity and could deliver a two-fold, 20-fold, and 6-fold increase in selectivity, respectively, compared with the best results of current computational tools. The extension of miRNAFold by the introduction of machine learning techniques, significantly increases selectivity in pre-miRNA ab initio prediction, which optimally contributes to advanced studies on miRNAs, as the need of biological validations is diminished. Hopefully, new research, such as studies of severe diseases caused by miRNA malfunction, will benefit from the proposed computational tool.
Ab initio study of phase equilibria in TiCx

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Korzhavyi, P.A.; Pourovskii, L.V.; Hugosson, H.W.

2002-01-01

The phase diagram for the vacancy-ordered structures in the substoichiometric TiCx (x = 0.5-1.0) has been established from Monte Carlo simulations with the long-range pair and multisite effective interactions obtained from ab initio calculations. Three ordered superstructures of vacancies (Ti2C, Ti...

Measurement of the elastic tensor of SmScO3 and NdScO3 using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy with ab initio calculations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. A. Pestka II

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The complete elastic tensors of SmScO3 and NdScO3 were measured using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS in combination with ab-initio calculations. Measurement of the elastic tensor of these recently synthesized single crystal RE scandates is essential for understanding dynamic lattice applications including phonon confinement, strain induced thin film growth and superlattice construction. On average, the experimental elastic constants differed by less than 5% of the theoretical values, further validating the accuracy of modern ab-initio calculations as a means of estimating the initial elastic constants used in RUS measurements.
Ab initio molecular dynamics calculations on scattering of hyperthermal H atoms from Cu(111) and Au(111)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kroes, Geert-Jan, E-mail: g.j.kroes@chem.leidenuniv.nl; Pavanello, Michele [Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratories, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Blanco-Rey, María [Departamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Químicas UPV/EHU, Apartado 1072, 20080 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain); Donostia International Physics Center, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain); Alducin, Maite [Donostia International Physics Center, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain); Centro de Física de Materiales, Centro Mixto CSIC-UPV/EHU, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain); Auerbach, Daniel J. [Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratories, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen (Germany); Institute for Physical Chemistry, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen (Germany)

2014-08-07

Energy loss from the translational motion of an atom or molecule impinging on a metal surface to the surface may determine whether the incident particle can trap on the surface, and whether it has enough energy left to react with another molecule present at the surface. Although this is relevant to heterogeneous catalysis, the relative extent to which energy loss of hot atoms takes place to phonons or electron-hole pair (ehp) excitation, and its dependence on the system's parameters, remain largely unknown. We address these questions for two systems that present an extreme case of the mass ratio of the incident atom to the surface atom, i.e., H + Cu(111) and H + Au(111), by presenting adiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) predictions of the energy loss and angular distributions for an incidence energy of 5 eV. The results are compared to the results of AIMDEFp calculations modeling energy loss to ehp excitation using an electronic friction (“EF”) model applied to the AIMD trajectories, so that the energy loss to the electrons is calculated “post” (“p”) the computation of the AIMD trajectory. The AIMD calculations predict average energy losses of 0.38 eV for Cu(111) and 0.13-0.14 eV for Au(111) for H-atoms that scatter from these surfaces without penetrating the surface. These energies closely correspond with energy losses predicted with Baule models, which is suggestive of structure scattering. The predicted adiabatic integral energy loss spectra (integrated over all final scattering angles) all display a lowest energy peak at an energy corresponding to approximately 80% of the average adiabatic energy loss for non-penetrative scattering. In the adiabatic limit, this suggests a way of determining the approximate average energy loss of non-penetratively scattered H-atoms from the integral energy loss spectrum of all scattered H-atoms. The AIMDEFp calculations predict that in each case the lowest energy loss peak should show additional energy
Ab initio molecular dynamics calculations on scattering of hyperthermal H atoms from Cu(111) and Au(111).

Science.gov (United States)

Kroes, Geert-Jan; Pavanello, Michele; Blanco-Rey, María; Alducin, Maite; Auerbach, Daniel J

2014-08-07

Energy loss from the translational motion of an atom or molecule impinging on a metal surface to the surface may determine whether the incident particle can trap on the surface, and whether it has enough energy left to react with another molecule present at the surface. Although this is relevant to heterogeneous catalysis, the relative extent to which energy loss of hot atoms takes place to phonons or electron-hole pair (ehp) excitation, and its dependence on the system's parameters, remain largely unknown. We address these questions for two systems that present an extreme case of the mass ratio of the incident atom to the surface atom, i.e., H + Cu(111) and H + Au(111), by presenting adiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) predictions of the energy loss and angular distributions for an incidence energy of 5 eV. The results are compared to the results of AIMDEFp calculations modeling energy loss to ehp excitation using an electronic friction ("EF") model applied to the AIMD trajectories, so that the energy loss to the electrons is calculated "post" ("p") the computation of the AIMD trajectory. The AIMD calculations predict average energy losses of 0.38 eV for Cu(111) and 0.13-0.14 eV for Au(111) for H-atoms that scatter from these surfaces without penetrating the surface. These energies closely correspond with energy losses predicted with Baule models, which is suggestive of structure scattering. The predicted adiabatic integral energy loss spectra (integrated over all final scattering angles) all display a lowest energy peak at an energy corresponding to approximately 80% of the average adiabatic energy loss for non-penetrative scattering. In the adiabatic limit, this suggests a way of determining the approximate average energy loss of non-penetratively scattered H-atoms from the integral energy loss spectrum of all scattered H-atoms. The AIMDEFp calculations predict that in each case the lowest energy loss peak should show additional energy loss in the
Ab initio study of low-energy electron collisions with ethylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trevisan, C.S.; Orel, A.E.; Rescigno, T.N.

2003-01-01

We present the results of an investigation of elastic electron scattering by ethylene C 2 H 4 with incident electron energies ranging from 0.5 to 20 eV, using the complex Kohn variational method. These fully ab initio calculations accurately reproduce experimental angular differential cross sections at energies below 3 eV. Low-energy electron scattering by ethylene is sensitive to the inclusion of electronic correlation and target-distortion effects. We therefore report results that describe the dynamic polarization of the target by the incident electron and involve calculations over a range of different geometries, including the effects of nuclear motion in the resonant 2 B 2g symmetry with an adiabatic nuclei treatment of the C-C stretch mode. The inclusion of dynamic polarization and the effect of nuclear motion are equally critical in obtaining accurate results. The calculated cross sections are compared with recent experimental measurements
The density functional theory and the charged fluid molecular dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, J.P.; Zerah, G.

1993-01-01

Car and Parrinello had the idea of combining the density functional theory (Hohenberg, Kohn and Sham) to the 'molecular dynamics' numerical modelling method, in order to simulate metallic or co-valent solids and liquids from the first principles. The objective of this paper is to present a simplified version of this method ab initio, applicable to classical and quantal charged systems. The method is illustrated with recent results on charged colloidal suspensions and highly correlated electron-proton plasmas. 1 fig., 21 refs
Yttrium aluminium garnet under pressure: Structural, elastic, and vibrational properties from ab initio studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteseguro, V.; Rodríguez-Hernández, P.; Muñoz, A.

2015-01-01

The structural, elastic, and vibrational properties of yttrium aluminum garnet Y 3 Al 5 O 12 are studied under high pressure by ab initio calculations in the framework of the density functional theory. The calculated ground state properties are in good agreement with the available experimental data. Pressure dependences of bond length and bulk moduli of the constituent polyhedra are reported. The evolution of the elastic constants and the major elastic properties, Young and shear modulus, Poisson's ratios, and Zener anisotropy ratio, are described. The mechanical stability is analyzed, on the light of “Born generalized stability criteria,” showing that the garnet is mechanically unstable above 116 GPa. Symmetries, frequencies, and pressure coefficients of the Raman-active modes are discussed on the basis of the calculated total and partial phonon density of states, which reflect the dynamical contribution of each atom. The relations between the phonon modes of Y 3 Al 5 O 12 and the internal and external molecular modes of the different polyhedra are discussed. Infrared-active modes, as well as the silent modes, and their pressure dependence are also investigated. No dynamical instabilities were found below 116 GPa
A permutationally invariant full-dimensional ab initio potential energy surface for the abstraction and exchange channels of the H + CH4 system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jun; Chen, Jun; Zhao, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Dong H.; Xie, Daiqian; Guo, Hua

2015-01-01

We report a permutationally invariant global potential energy surface (PES) for the H + CH 4 system based on ∼63 000 data points calculated at a high ab initio level (UCCSD(T)-F12a/AVTZ) using the recently proposed permutation invariant polynomial-neural network method. The small fitting error (5.1 meV) indicates a faithful representation of the ab initio points over a large configuration space. The rate coefficients calculated on the PES using tunneling corrected transition-state theory and quasi-classical trajectory are found to agree well with the available experimental and previous quantum dynamical results. The calculated total reaction probabilities (J tot = 0) including the abstraction and exchange channels using the new potential by a reduced dimensional quantum dynamic method are essentially the same as those on the Xu-Chen-Zhang PES [Chin. J. Chem. Phys. 27, 373 (2014)
Efficient Exploration of Reactive Potential Energy Surfaces Using Car-Parrinello Molecular Dynamics

OpenAIRE

Iannuzzi, Marcella; Laio, Alessandro; Parrinello, Michele

2003-01-01

The possibility of observing chemical reactions in ab initio molecular dynamics runs is severely hindered by the short simulation time accessible. We propose a new method for accelerating the reaction process, based on the ideas of the extended Lagrangian and coarse-grained non-Markovian metady- namics. We demonstrate that by this method it is possible to simulate reactions involving complex atomic rearrangements and very large energy barriers in runs of a few picoseconds.
Ab Initio Calculations for the BaTiO3 (001) Surface Structure

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

XUE Xu-Yan; WANG Chun-Lei; ZHONG Wei-Lie

2004-01-01

@@ The ab initio method within the local density approximation is applied to calculate cubic BaTiO3 (001) surface relaxation and rumpling for two different terminations (BaO and TiO2). Our calculations demonstrate that cubic perovskite BaTiO3 crystals possess surface polarization, accompanied by the presence of the relevant electric field.We analyse their electronic structures (band structure, density of states and the electronic density redistribution with emphasis on the covalency effects). The results are also compared with that of the previous ab initio calculations. Considerable increases of Ti-O chemical bond covalency nearby the surface have been observed.The band gap reduces especially for the TiO2 termination.
Ab initio calculations of mechanical properties: Methods and applications

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pokluda, J.; Černý, Miroslav; Šob, Mojmír; Umeno, Y.

2015-01-01

Roč. 73, AUG (2015), s. 127-158 ISSN 0079-6425 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP108/12/0311 Institutional support: RVO:68081723 Keywords : Ab initio methods * Elastic moduli * Intrinsic hardness * Stability analysis * Theoretical strength * Intrinsic brittleness/ductility Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 31.083, year: 2015
Early stage precipitation in aluminum alloys : An ab initio study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, X.

2017-01-01

Multiscale computational materials science has reached a stage where many complicated phenomena or properties that are of great importance to manufacturing can be predicted or explained. The word “ab initio study” becomes commonplace as the development of density functional theory has enabled the
Ab initio electronic properties of dual phosphorus monolayers in silicon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drumm, Daniel W.; Per, Manolo C.; Budi, Akin

2014-01-01

In the midst of the epitaxial circuitry revolution in silicon technology, we look ahead to the next paradigm shift: effective use of the third dimension - in particular, its combination with epitaxial technology. We perform ab initio calculations of atomically thin epitaxial bilayers in silicon...
Common lines modeling for reference free Ab-initio reconstruction in cryo-EM.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Ido; Shkolnisky, Yoel

2017-11-01

We consider the problem of estimating an unbiased and reference-free ab initio model for non-symmetric molecules from images generated by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. The proposed algorithm finds the globally optimal assignment of orientations that simultaneously respects all common lines between all images. The contribution of each common line to the estimated orientations is weighted according to a statistical model for common lines' detection errors. The key property of the proposed algorithm is that it finds the global optimum for the orientations given the common lines. In particular, any local optima in the common lines energy landscape do not affect the proposed algorithm. As a result, it is applicable to thousands of images at once, very robust to noise, completely reference free, and not biased towards any initial model. A byproduct of the algorithm is a set of measures that allow to asses the reliability of the obtained ab initio model. We demonstrate the algorithm using class averages from two experimental data sets, resulting in ab initio models with resolutions of 20Å or better, even from class averages consisting of as few as three raw images per class. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
An Ab Initio Description of the Excitonic Properties of LH2 and Their Temperature Dependence.

Science.gov (United States)

Cupellini, Lorenzo; Jurinovich, Sandro; Campetella, Marco; Caprasecca, Stefano; Guido, Ciro A; Kelly, Sharon M; Gardiner, Alastair T; Cogdell, Richard; Mennucci, Benedetta

2016-11-10

The spectroscopic properties of light-harvesting (LH) antennae in photosyntehtic organisms represent a fingerprint that is unique for each specific pigment-protein complex. Because of that, spectroscopic observations are generally combined with structural data from X-ray crystallography to obtain an indirect representation of the excitonic properties of the system. Here, an alternative strategy is presented which goes beyond this empirical approach and introduces an ab initio computational description of both structural and electronic properties and their dependence on the temperature. The strategy is applied to the peripheral light-harvesting antenna complex (LH2) present in purple bacteria. By comparing this model with the one based on the crystal structure, a detailed, molecular level explanation of the absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra and their temperature dependence is achieved. The agreement obtained with the experiments at both low and room temperature lays the groundwork for an atomistic understanding of the excitation dynamics in the LH2 system.
A review on ab initio studies of static, transport, and optical properties of polystyrene under extreme conditions for inertial confinement fusion applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, S. X.; Collins, L. A.; Boehly, T. R.; Ding, Y. H.; Radha, P. B.; Goncharov, V. N.; Karasiev, V. V.; Collins, G. W.; Regan, S. P.; Campbell, E. M.

2018-05-01

Polystyrene (CH), commonly known as "plastic," has been one of the widely used ablator materials for capsule designs in inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Knowing its precise properties under high-energy-density conditions is crucial to understanding and designing ICF implosions through radiation-hydrodynamic simulations. For this purpose, systematic ab initio studies on the static, transport, and optical properties of CH, in a wide range of density and temperature conditions (ρ = 0.1 to 100 g/cm3 and T = 103 to 4 × 106 K), have been conducted using quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations based on the density functional theory. We have built several wide-ranging, self-consistent material-properties tables for CH, such as the first-principles equation of state, the QMD-based thermal conductivity (κQMD) and ionization, and the first-principles opacity table. This paper is devoted to providing a review on (1) what results were obtained from these systematic ab initio studies; (2) how these self-consistent results were compared with both traditional plasma-physics models and available experiments; and (3) how these first-principles-based properties of polystyrene affect the predictions of ICF target performance, through both 1-D and 2-D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations. In the warm dense regime, our ab initio results, which can significantly differ from predictions of traditional plasma-physics models, compared favorably with experiments. When incorporated into hydrocodes for ICF simulations, these first-principles material properties of CH have produced significant differences over traditional models in predicting 1-D/2-D target performance of ICF implosions on OMEGA and direct-drive-ignition designs for the National Ignition Facility. Finally, we will discuss the implications of these studies on the current small-margin ICF target designs using a CH ablator.
ESTUDIO TEÓRICO DE LA MOLÉCULA DE HIDROGENO CALCULO AB-INITIO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Quitián

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Utilizando la técnica LCGO-SCF-MO (Combinación Lineal de los Orbitales Moleculares en Orbitales Gausianos, en el método del Campo Auto-Coherente, se determinaron las energías de orbital, la energía electrónica total, la energía de repulsión nuclear y la energía de Hartree-Fock de la molécula de hidrógeno en su estado fundamental, mediante un cálculo ab initio y utilizando una base de funciones gausianas. Los orbitales moleculares fueron desarrollados en términos de una función Is contraída por átomo de hidrógeno, obtenida por la minimización de los coeficientes y de los exponentes de los orbitales gausianos para el átomo aislado. Los resultados obtenidos nos permiten afirmar que la base molecular mejora sensiblemente los resultados, acercándose más al límite de Hartree-Fock.
Spin orbit coupling for molecular ab initio density matrix renormalization group calculations: Application to g-tensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roemelt, Michael, E-mail: michael.roemelt@theochem.rub.de [Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany and Max-Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany)

2015-07-28

Spin Orbit Coupling (SOC) is introduced to molecular ab initio density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) calculations. In the presented scheme, one first approximates the electronic ground state and a number of excited states of the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) Hamiltonian with the aid of the DMRG algorithm. Owing to the spin-adaptation of the algorithm, the total spin S is a good quantum number for these states. After the non-relativistic DMRG calculation is finished, all magnetic sublevels of the calculated states are constructed explicitly, and the SOC operator is expanded in the resulting basis. To this end, spin orbit coupled energies and wavefunctions are obtained as eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the full Hamiltonian matrix which is composed of the SOC operator matrix and the BO Hamiltonian matrix. This treatment corresponds to a quasi-degenerate perturbation theory approach and can be regarded as the molecular equivalent to atomic Russell-Saunders coupling. For the evaluation of SOC matrix elements, the full Breit-Pauli SOC Hamiltonian is approximated by the widely used spin-orbit mean field operator. This operator allows for an efficient use of the second quantized triplet replacement operators that are readily generated during the non-relativistic DMRG algorithm, together with the Wigner-Eckart theorem. With a set of spin-orbit coupled wavefunctions at hand, the molecular g-tensors are calculated following the scheme proposed by Gerloch and McMeeking. It interprets the effective molecular g-values as the slope of the energy difference between the lowest Kramers pair with respect to the strength of the applied magnetic field. Test calculations on a chemically relevant Mo complex demonstrate the capabilities of the presented method.
Iron -chromium alloys and free surfaces: from ab initio calculations to thermodynamic modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levesque, M.

2010-11-01

Ferritic steels possibly strengthened by oxide dispersion are candidates as structural materials for generation IV and fusion nuclear reactors. Their use is limited by incomplete knowledge of the iron-chromium phase diagram at low temperatures and of the phenomena inducing preferential segregation of one element at grain boundaries or at surfaces. In this context, this work contributes to the multi-scale study of the model iron-chromium alloy and their free surfaces by numerical simulations. This study begins with ab initio calculations of properties related to the mixture of atoms of iron and chromium. We highlight complex dependency of the magnetic moments of the chromium atoms on their local chemical environment. Surface properties are also proving sensitive to magnetism. This is the case of impurity segregation of chromium in iron and of their interactions near the surface. In a second step, we construct a simple energy model for high numerical efficiency. It is based on pair interactions on a rigid lattice to which are given local chemical environment and temperature dependencies. With this model, we reproduce the ab initio results at zero temperature and experimental results at high temperature. We also deduce the solubility limits at all intermediate temperatures with mean field approximations that we compare to Monte Carlo simulations. The last step of our work is to introduce free surfaces in our model. We then study the effect of ab initio calculated bulk and surface properties on surface segregation.Finally, we calculate segregation isotherms. We therefore propose an evolution model of surface composition of iron-chromium alloys as a function of bulk composition. which are given local chemical environment and temperature dependencies. With this model, we reproduce the ab initio results at zero temperature and experimental results at high temperature. We also deduce the solubility limits at all intermediate temperatures with mean field approximations that
Ab initio quantum chemistry in parallel-portable tools and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, R.J.; Shepard, R.; Kendall, R.A.

1991-01-01

In common with many of the computational sciences, ab initio chemistry faces computational constraints to which a partial solution is offered by the prospect of highly parallel computers. Ab initio codes are large and complex (O(10 5 ) lines of FORTRAN), representing a significant investment of communal effort. The often conflicting requirements of portability and efficiency have been successfully resolved on vector computers by reliance on matrix oriented kernels. This proves inadequate even upon closely-coupled shared-memory parallel machines. We examine the algorithms employed during a typical sequence of calculations. Then we investigate how efficient portable parallel implementations may be derived, including the complex multi-reference singles and doubles configuration interaction algorithm. A portable toolkit, modeled after the Intel iPSC and the ANL-ACRF PARMACS, is developed, using shared memory and TCP/IP sockets. The toolkit is used as an initial platform for programs portable between LANS, Crays and true distributed-memory MIMD machines. Timings are presented. 53 refs., 4 tabs
The dynamic behavior of the exohedral transition metal complexes ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

NAIWRIT KARMODAK

Special Issue on THEORETICAL CHEMISTRY/CHEMICAL DYNAMICS. The dynamic behavior ... The ab initio molecular dynamic simulations were performed at. 1200 K to ... boron clusters and the nature of polyhedral boranes suggested that ...

An ab initio CASSCF study of zero field splitting fluctuations in the octet ground state of aqueous [Gd(iii)(HPDO3A)(H2O)

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Shehryar; Pollet, Rodolphe; Vuilleumier, Rodolphe; Kowalewski, Jozef; Odelius, Michael

2017-12-01

In this work, we present ab initio calculations of the zero-field splitting (ZFS) of a gadolinium complex [Gd(iii)(HPDO3A)(H2O)] sampled from an ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulation. We perform both post-Hartree-Fock (complete active space self-consistent field—CASSCF) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the ZFS and compare and contrast the methods with experimental data. Two different density functional approximations (TPSS and LC-BLYP) were investigated. The magnitude of the ZFS from the CASSCF calculations is in good agreement with experiment, whereas the DFT results in varying degrees overestimate the magnitude of the ZFS for both functionals and exhibit a strong functional dependence. It was found in the sampling over the AIMD trajectory that the fluctuations in the transient ZFS tensor derived from DFT are not correlated with those of CASSCF nor does the magnitude of the ZFS from CASSCF and DFT correlate. From the fluctuations in the ZFS tensor, we extract a correlation time of the transient ZFS which is on the sub-picosecond time scale, showing a faster decay than experimental estimates.
Vibrations of bioionic liquids by ab initio molecular dynamics and vibrational spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanzi, Luana; Benassi, Paola; Nardone, Michele; Ramondo, Fabio

2014-12-26

Density functional theory and vibrational spectroscopy are used to investigate a class of bioionic liquids consisting of a choline cation and carboxylate anions. Through quantum mechanical studies of motionless ion pairs and molecular dynamics of small portions of the liquid, we have characterized important structural features of the ionic liquid. Hydrogen bonding produces stable ion pairs in the liquid and induces vibrational features of the carboxylate groups comparable with experimental results. Infrared and Raman spectra of liquids have been measured, and main bands have been assigned on the basis of theoretical spectra.
Proposal for novel curcumin derivatives as potent inhibitors against Alzheimer's disease: Ab initio molecular simulations on the specific interactions between amyloid-beta peptide and curcumin

Science.gov (United States)

Ota, Shintaro; Fujimori, Mitsuki; Ishimura, Hiromi; Shulga, Sergiy; Kurita, Noriyuki

2017-10-01

Accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides in a brain is closely related with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. To suppress the production of Aβ peptides, we propose novel curcumin derivatives and investigate their binding properties with the amyloid precursor protein (APP), using protein-ligand docking as well as ab initio molecular simulations. Our proposed derivative (curcumin XIV) is found to have a large binding energy with APP and interacts strongly with the cleavage site Ala19 by secretase. It is thus expected that curcumin XIV can protect APP from the secretase attack and be a potent inhibitor against the production of Aβ peptides.
Studies of urea geometry by means of ab initio methods and computer simulations of liquids

OpenAIRE

Cirino, José Jair Vianna; Bertran, Celso Aparecido

2002-01-01

A study was carried out on the urea geometries using ab initio calculation and Monte Carlo computational simulation of liquids. The ab initio calculated results showed that urea has a non-planar conformation in the gas phase in which the hydrogen atoms are out of the plane formed by the heavy atoms. Free energies associated to the rotation of the amino groups of urea in water were obtained using the Monte Carlo method in which the thermodynamic perturbation theory is implemented. The magnitud...
Cyanogen Azide. Ionization Potentials and Ab Initio SCF MO Calculation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Börge; Jansen, Peter; Stafast, Herbert

1975-01-01

The Ne(I) and He(I) photoelectron(PE) spectra of cyanogen azide, NCN3, have been recorded at high resolution. Their interpretation is achieved by comparison with the PE spectrum of HN3 and an ab initio LCGO SCF MO calculation. Deviations from Koopmans' theorem of quite different magnitudes...
Ab initio and kinetic modeling studies of formic acid oxidation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marshall, Paul; Glarborg, Peter

2015-01-01

A detailed chemical kinetic model for oxidation of formic acid (HOCHO) in flames has been developed, based on theoretical work and data from literature. Ab initio calculations were used to obtain rate coefficients for reactions of HOCHO with H, O, and HO2. Modeling predictions with the mechanism...
Materials Screening for the Discovery of New Half-Heuslers: Machine Learning versus ab Initio Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Legrain, Fleur; Carrete, Jesús; van Roekeghem, Ambroise; Madsen, Georg K H; Mingo, Natalio

2018-01-18

Machine learning (ML) is increasingly becoming a helpful tool in the search for novel functional compounds. Here we use classification via random forests to predict the stability of half-Heusler (HH) compounds, using only experimentally reported compounds as a training set. Cross-validation yields an excellent agreement between the fraction of compounds classified as stable and the actual fraction of truly stable compounds in the ICSD. The ML model is then employed to screen 71 178 different 1:1:1 compositions, yielding 481 likely stable candidates. The predicted stability of HH compounds from three previous high-throughput ab initio studies is critically analyzed from the perspective of the alternative ML approach. The incomplete consistency among the three separate ab initio studies and between them and the ML predictions suggests that additional factors beyond those considered by ab initio phase stability calculations might be determinant to the stability of the compounds. Such factors can include configurational entropies and quasiharmonic contributions.
Ab initio calculation of tensile strength in iron

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Friák, Martin; Šob, Mojmír; Vitek, V.

2003-01-01

Roč. 83, 31-34 (2003), s. 3529-3537 ISSN 1478-6435. [Multiscale Materials Modelling: Working Theory for Industry /1./. London, 17.06.2002-20.06.2002] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1041302; GA ČR GA202/03/1351; GA MŠk OC 523.90 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z2041904 Keywords : ab initio calculations * electronic structure * theoretical tensile strength Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism
Applicability of effective fragment potential version 2 - Molecular dynamics (EFP2-MD) simulations for predicting excess properties of mixed solvents

Science.gov (United States)

Kuroki, Nahoko; Mori, Hirotoshi

2018-02-01

Effective fragment potential version 2 - molecular dynamics (EFP2-MD) simulations, where the EFP2 is a polarizable force field based on ab initio electronic structure calculations were applied to water-methanol binary mixture. Comparing EFP2s defined with (aug-)cc-pVXZ (X = D,T) basis sets, it was found that large sets are necessary to generate sufficiently accurate EFP2 for predicting mixture properties. It was shown that EFP2-MD could predict the excess molar volume. Since the computational cost of EFP2-MD are far less than ab initio MD, the results presented herein demonstrate that EFP2-MD is promising for predicting physicochemical properties of novel mixed solvents.
Dependence ofthe L-alanyl-L-alanine conformation on molecular charge determined from ab initio computations and NMR spectra

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sychrovský, Vladimír; Buděšínský, Miloš; Benda, Ladislav; Špirko, Vladimír; Vokáčová, Zuzana; Šebestík, Jaroslav; Bouř, Petr

2008-01-01

Roč. 112, č. 6 (2008), s. 1796-1805 ISSN 1520-6106 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/06/0420; GA ČR GA202/07/0732; GA AV ČR IAA400550702; GA AV ČR IAA400550701; GA MŠk LC512 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : NMR * ab initio * dipeptide Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 4.189, year: 2008
Precise Ab-initio prediction of terahertz vibrational modes in crystalline systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jepsen, Peter Uhd; Clark, Stewart J.

2007-01-01

We use a combination of experimental THz time-domain spectroscopy and ab-initio density functional perturbative theory to accurately predict the terahertz vibrational spectrum of molecules in the crystalline phase. Our calculations show that distinct vibrational modes found in solid-state materials...
Structure and lattice dynamics of GaN and AlN. Ab-initio investigations of strained polytypes and superlattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagner, Jan-Martin

2004-10-14

In this dissertation, ab-initio investigations of the strain influence on vibrational properties of GaN and AlN as well as of short-period GaN/AlN superlattices are presented. Based on densityfunctional theory and density-functional perturbation theory, for differently strained structures complete phonon spectra and related properties are calculated using the local-density approximation and norm-conserving pseudopotentials. (orig.)
Serious Gaming for Test & Evaluation of Clean-Slate (Ab Initio) National Airspace System (NAS) Designs

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, B. Danette; Alexandrov, Natalia

2016-01-01

Incremental approaches to air transportation system development inherit current architectural constraints, which, in turn, place hard bounds on system capacity, efficiency of performance, and complexity. To enable airspace operations of the future, a clean-slate (ab initio) airspace design(s) must be considered. This ab initio National Airspace System (NAS) must be capable of accommodating increased traffic density, a broader diversity of aircraft, and on-demand mobility. System and subsystem designs should scale to accommodate the inevitable demand for airspace services that include large numbers of autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and a paradigm shift in general aviation (e.g., personal air vehicles) in addition to more traditional aerial vehicles such as commercial jetliners and weather balloons. The complex and adaptive nature of ab initio designs for the future NAS requires new approaches to validation, adding a significant physical experimentation component to analytical and simulation tools. In addition to software modeling and simulation, the ability to exercise system solutions in a flight environment will be an essential aspect of validation. The NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Autonomy Incubator seeks to develop a flight simulation infrastructure for ab initio modeling and simulation that assumes no specific NAS architecture and models vehicle-to-vehicle behavior to examine interactions and emergent behaviors among hundreds of intelligent aerial agents exhibiting collaborative, cooperative, coordinative, selfish, and malicious behaviors. The air transportation system of the future will be a complex adaptive system (CAS) characterized by complex and sometimes unpredictable (or unpredicted) behaviors that result from temporal and spatial interactions among large numbers of participants. A CAS not only evolves with a changing environment and adapts to it, it is closely coupled to all systems that constitute the environment. Thus, the ecosystem that
Evolution of local atomic structure during solidification of Al2Au liquid: An ab initio study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiong, L H; Lou, H B; Wang, X D; Debela, T T; Cao, Q P; Zhang, D X; Wang, S Y; Wang, C Z; Jiang, J Z

2014-04-01

The local atomic structure evolution in Al2Au alloy during solidification from 2000 K to 400 K was studied by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and analyzed using the structure factor, pair correlation functions, bond angle distributions, the Honeycutt-Anderson (HA) index and Voronoi tessellation methods. It was found that the icosahedral-like clusters are negligible in the Al2Au stable liquid and supercooled liquid states, and the most abundant clusters are those having HA indices of 131 and 120 or Voronoi indices of < 0,4,4,0 >, < 0,3, 6,0 > and < 0,4,4,2 > with coordination numbers of 8, 9 and 10, respectively. These clusters are similar to the local atomic structures in the CaF2-type Al2Au crystal, revealing the existence of structure heredity between liquid and crystalline phase in Al2Au alloy. (C) 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Evolution of local atomic structure during solidification of Al2Au liquid: An ab initio study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong, L.H.; Lou, H.B.; Wang, X.D.; Debela, T.T.; Cao, Q.P.; Zhang, D.X.; Wang, S.Y.; Wang, C.Z.; Jiang, J.Z.

2014-01-01

The local atomic structure evolution in Al 2 Au alloy during solidification from 2000 K to 400 K was studied by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and analyzed using the structure factor, pair correlation functions, bond angle distributions, the Honeycutt–Anderson (HA) index and Voronoi tessellation methods. It was found that the icosahedral-like clusters are negligible in the Al 2 Au stable liquid and supercooled liquid states, and the most abundant clusters are those having HA indices of 131 and 120 or Voronoi indices of 〈0, 4, 4, 0〉, 〈0, 3, 6, 0〉 and 〈0, 4, 4, 2〉 with coordination numbers of 8, 9 and 10, respectively. These clusters are similar to the local atomic structures in the CaF 2 -type Al 2 Au crystal, revealing the existence of structure heredity between liquid and crystalline phase in Al 2 Au alloy
Studies Of Urea Geometry By Means Of Ab Initio Methods And Computer Simulations Of Liquids [estudo Da Geometria Da Uréia Por Métodos Ab Initio E Simulaição Computacional De Líquidos

OpenAIRE

Cirino J.J.V.; Bertran C.A.

2002-01-01

A study was carried out on the urea geometries using ab initio calculation and Monte Carlo computational simulation of liquids. The ab initio calculated results showed that urea has a non-planar conformation in the gas phase in which the hydrogen atoms are out of the plane formed by the heavy atoms. Free energies associated to the rotation of the amino groups of urea in water were obtained using the Monte Carlo method in which the thermodynamic perturbation theory is implemented. The magnitud...
A fragment-based approach towards ab-initio treatment of polymeric ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Reshma S Pingale

2017-06-20

Jun 20, 2017 ... Keywords. π-Conjugated polymer; divide and conquer; ab-initio; fragmentation. PACS Nos 31.15.A−; 36.20. ... cut the parent system into a set of overlapping small fragments and .... some oligomers, we approached the problem by increas- ..... Financial support of DST, Govt. of India, New Delhi, in the form of ...
Ab initio study of the bcc-hcp transformation in iron

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Friák, Martin; Šob, Mojmír

2008-01-01

Roč. 77, č. 17 (2008), 174117/1-174117/7 ISSN 1098-0121 R&D Projects: GA MŠk OC 147; GA AV ČR IAA1041302 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20410507 Keywords : ab initio calculations * phase transformations * iron Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.322, year: 2008
Ab initio and Molecular Dynamic models of displacement damage in crystalline and turbostratic graphite

Science.gov (United States)

McKenna, Alice

One of the functions of graphite is as a moderator in several nuclear reactor designs, including the Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR). In the reactor graphite is used to thermalise the neutrons produced in the fission reaction thus allowing a self-sustained reaction to occur. The graphite blocks, acting as the moderator, are constantly irradiated and consequently suffer damage. This thesis examines the types of damage caused using molecular dynamic (MD) simulations and ab intio calculations. Neutron damage starts with a primary knock-on atom (PKA), which is travelling so fast that it creates damage through electronic and thermal excitation (this is addressed with thermal spike simulations). When the PKA has lost energy the subsequent cascade is based on ballistic atomic displacement. These two types of simulations were performed on single crystal graphite and other carbon structures such as diamond and amorphous carbon as a comparison. The thermal spike in single crystal graphite produced results which varied from no defects to a small number of permanent defects in the structure. It is only at the high energy range that more damage is seen but these energies are less likely to occur in the nuclear reactor. The thermal spike does not create damage but it is possible that it can heal damaged sections of the graphite, which can be demonstrated with the motion of the defects when a thermal spike is applied. The cascade simulations create more damage than the thermal spike even though less energy is applied to the system. A new damage function is found with a threshold region that varies with the square root of energy in excess of the energy threshold. This is further broken down in to contributions from primary and subsequent knock-on atoms. The threshold displacement energy (TDE) is found to be Ed=25eV at 300K. In both these types of simulation graphite acts very differently to the other carbon structures. There are two types of polycrystalline graphite structures
Structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer in Si/Ge superlattices: A Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen, E-mail: zhangyu@missouri.edu [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211 (United States); Yang, Mo [College of Energy and Power Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China)

2013-12-21

The structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer process in Si/Ge superlattices are studied by analyzing the trajectories generated by the ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution functions and mean square displacements are calculated and further discussions are made to explain and probe the structural changes relating to the heat transfer phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrational density of states of the two layers (Si/Ge) are computed and plotted to analyze the contributions of phonons with different frequencies to the heat conduction. Coherent heat conduction of the low frequency phonons is found and their contributions to facilitate heat transfer are confirmed. The Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation outputs in the work show reasonable thermophysical results of the thermal energy transport process and shed light on the potential applications of treating the heat transfer in the superlattices of semiconductor materials from a quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulation perspective.

Structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer in Si/Ge superlattices: A Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen; Yang, Mo

2013-01-01

The structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer process in Si/Ge superlattices are studied by analyzing the trajectories generated by the ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution functions and mean square displacements are calculated and further discussions are made to explain and probe the structural changes relating to the heat transfer phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrational density of states of the two layers (Si/Ge) are computed and plotted to analyze the contributions of phonons with different frequencies to the heat conduction. Coherent heat conduction of the low frequency phonons is found and their contributions to facilitate heat transfer are confirmed. The Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation outputs in the work show reasonable thermophysical results of the thermal energy transport process and shed light on the potential applications of treating the heat transfer in the superlattices of semiconductor materials from a quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulation perspective
Structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer in Si/Ge superlattices: A Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics study

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen; Yang, Mo

2013-12-01

The structural, dynamic, and vibrational properties during heat transfer process in Si/Ge superlattices are studied by analyzing the trajectories generated by the ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution functions and mean square displacements are calculated and further discussions are made to explain and probe the structural changes relating to the heat transfer phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrational density of states of the two layers (Si/Ge) are computed and plotted to analyze the contributions of phonons with different frequencies to the heat conduction. Coherent heat conduction of the low frequency phonons is found and their contributions to facilitate heat transfer are confirmed. The Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation outputs in the work show reasonable thermophysical results of the thermal energy transport process and shed light on the potential applications of treating the heat transfer in the superlattices of semiconductor materials from a quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulation perspective.
Ab initio study of H + + H 2 collisions: Elastic/inelastic and charge transfer processes

Science.gov (United States)

Saieswari, A.; Kumar, Sanjay

2007-12-01

An ab initio full configuration interaction study has been undertaken to obtain the global potential energy surfaces for the ground and the first excited electronic state of the H + + H 2 system employing Dunning's cc-pVQZ basis set. Using the ab initio approach the corresponding quasi-diabatic potential energy surfaces and coupling potentials have been obtained. A time-independent quantum mechanical study has been also undertaken for both the inelastic and charge transfer processes at the experimental collision energy Ec.m. = 20.0 eV and the preliminary results show better agreement with the experimental data as compared to the earlier available theoretical studies.
The computation of ionization potentials for second-row elements by ab initio and density functional theory methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jursic, B.S.

1996-01-01

Up to four ionization potentials of elements from the second-row of the periodic table were computed using the ab initio (HF, MP2, MP3, MP4, QCISD, GI, G2, and G2MP2) and DFT (B3LY, B3P86, B3PW91, XALPHA, HFS, HFB, BLYP, BP86, BPW91, BVWN, XAPLY, XAP86, XAPW91, XAVWN, SLYR SP86, SPW91 and SVWN) methods. In all of the calculations, the large 6-311++G(3df,3pd) gaussian type of basis set was used. The computed values were compared with the experimental results and suitability of the ab initio and DFF methods were discussed, in regard to reproducing the experimental data. From the computed ionization potentials of the second-row elements, it can be concluded that the HF ab initio computation is not capable of reproducing the experimental results. The computed ionization potentials are too low. However, by using the ab initio methods that include electron correlation, the computed IPs are becoming much closer to the experimental values. In all cases, with the exception of the first ionization potential for oxygen, the G2 computation result produces ionization potentials that are indistinguishable from the experimental results
Force fields for silicas and aluminophosphates based on ab initio calculations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beest, van B.W.H.; Kramer, G.J.; Santen, van R.A.

1990-01-01

Authors address the problem of finding interat. force fields for silicas from ab initio calcns. on small clusters. The force field cannot be detd. from cluster data alone; incorporation of bulk-system information into the force field remains essential. Bearing this in mind, authors derive a force
SPASER as a complex system: femtosecond dynamics traced by ab-initio simulations

KAUST Repository

Gongora, J. S. Totero; Miroshnichenko, Andrey E.; Kivshar, Yuri S.; Fratalocchi, Andrea

2016-01-01

Integrating coherent light sources at the nanoscale with spasers is one of the most promising applications of plasmonics. A spaser is a nano-plasmonic counterpart of a laser, with photons replaced by surface plasmon polaritons and the resonant cavity replaced by a nanoparticle supporting localized plasmonic modes. Despite the large body of experimental and theoretical studies, the understanding of the fundamental properties of the spaser emission is still challenging. In this work, we investigated the ultrafast dynamics of the emission from a core-shell spaser by developing a rigorous first-principle numerical model. Our results show that the spaser is a highly nonlinear system with many interacting degrees of freedom, whose emission sustain a rich manifold of different spatial phases. In the regime of strong interaction we observed that the spaser emission manifests an irreversible ergodic evolution, where energy is equally shared among all the available degrees of freedom. Under this condition, the spaser generates ultrafast vortex lasing modes that are spinning on the femtosecond scale, acquiring the character of a nanoparticle with an effective spin. Interestingly, the spin orientation is defined by spontaneous symmetry breaking induced by quantum noise, which is a fundamental component of our ab-initio model. This opens up interesting possibilities of achieving unidirectional emission from a perfectly spherical nanoparticle, stimulating a broad range of applications for nano-plasmonic lasers as unidirectional couplers, random information sources and novel form of photonics neural-networks. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
SPASER as a complex system: femtosecond dynamics traced by ab-initio simulations

KAUST Repository

Gongora, J. S. Totero

2016-03-14

Integrating coherent light sources at the nanoscale with spasers is one of the most promising applications of plasmonics. A spaser is a nano-plasmonic counterpart of a laser, with photons replaced by surface plasmon polaritons and the resonant cavity replaced by a nanoparticle supporting localized plasmonic modes. Despite the large body of experimental and theoretical studies, the understanding of the fundamental properties of the spaser emission is still challenging. In this work, we investigated the ultrafast dynamics of the emission from a core-shell spaser by developing a rigorous first-principle numerical model. Our results show that the spaser is a highly nonlinear system with many interacting degrees of freedom, whose emission sustain a rich manifold of different spatial phases. In the regime of strong interaction we observed that the spaser emission manifests an irreversible ergodic evolution, where energy is equally shared among all the available degrees of freedom. Under this condition, the spaser generates ultrafast vortex lasing modes that are spinning on the femtosecond scale, acquiring the character of a nanoparticle with an effective spin. Interestingly, the spin orientation is defined by spontaneous symmetry breaking induced by quantum noise, which is a fundamental component of our ab-initio model. This opens up interesting possibilities of achieving unidirectional emission from a perfectly spherical nanoparticle, stimulating a broad range of applications for nano-plasmonic lasers as unidirectional couplers, random information sources and novel form of photonics neural-networks. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ab initio effective core potentials for molecular calculations. Potentials for K to Au including the outermost core orbitals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hay, P.J.; Wadt, W.R.

1985-01-01

Ab initio effective core potentials (ECP's) have been generated to replace the innermost core electron for third-row (K--Au), fourth-row (Rb--Ag), and fifth-row (Cs--Au) atoms. The outermost core orbitals: corresponding to the ns 2 np 6 configuration for the three rows here: are not replaced by the ECP but are treated on an equal footing with the nd, (n+1)s and (n+1)p valence orbitals. These ECP's have been derived for use in molecular calculations where these outer core orbitals need to be treated explicitly rather than to be replaced by an ECP. The ECP's for the forth and fifth rows also incorporate the mass--velocity and Darwin relativistic effects into the potentials. Analytic fits to the potentials are presented for use in multicenter integral evaluation. Gaussian orbital valence basis sets are developed for the (3s, 3p, 3d, 4s, 4p), (4s, 4p, 4d, 5s, 5p), and (5s, 5p, 5d, 6s, 6p) ortibals of the three respective rows
Using Ab-Initio Calculations to Appraise Stm-Based - and Kink-Formation Energies

Science.gov (United States)

Feibelman, Peter J.

2001-03-01

Ab-initio total energies can and should be used to test the typically model-dependent results of interpreting STM morphologies. The benefits of such tests are illustrated here by ab-initio energies of step- and kink-formation on Pb and Pt(111) which show that the STM-based values of the kink energies must be revised. On Pt(111), the computed kink-energies for (100)- and (111)-microfacet steps are about 0.25 and 0.18 eV. These results imply a specific ratio of formation energies for the two step types, namely 1.14, in excellent agreement with experiment. If kink-formation actually cost the same energy on the two step types, an inference drawn from scanning probe observations of step wandering,(M. Giesen et al., Surf. Sci. 366, 229(1996).) this ratio ought to be 1. In the case of Pb(111), though computed energies to form (100)- and (111)-microfacet steps agree with measurement, the ab-initio kink-formation energies for the two step types, 41 and 60 meV, are 40-50% below experimental values drawn from STM images.(K. Arenhold et al., Surf. Sci. 424, 271(1999).) The discrepancy results from interpreting the images with a step-stiffness vs. kink-energy relation appropriate to (100) but not (111) surfaces. Good agreement is found when proper account of the trigonal symmetry of Pb(111) is taken in reinterpreting the step-stiffness data.
Dynamic analysis of electron density in the course of the internal motion of molecular system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tachibana, A.; Hori, K.; Asai, Y.; Yamabe, T.

1984-01-01

The general dynamic aspect of electron density of a molecular system is studied on the basis of the general equation of the electron orbital which is formulated for the dynamic study of electronic motion. The newly defined electron orbital incorporates the dynamics of molecular vibration into the electronic structures. In this scheme, the change of electron distribution caused by excitation of vibrational state is defined as the ''dynamic electron transfer.'' The dynamic electron density is found to have the remarkable ''additive'' property. The time-dependent aspect of the dynamic electron redistribution is also analyzed on the basis of the ''coherent state.'' The new method relates the classical vibrational amplitude to the quantum number of the vibrational state. As a preliminary application of the present treatment, the dynamic electron densities of H 2 , HD, HT, HF, and HCl molecules are calculated by use of ab initio molecular orbital method
Structural studies on choline-carboxylate bio-ionic liquids by x-ray scattering and molecular dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanzi, Luana; Ramondo, Fabio; Caminiti, Ruggero; Campetella, Marco; Di Luca, Andrea; Gontrani, Lorenzo

2015-09-21

We report a X-ray diffraction and molecular dynamics study on three choline-based bio-ionic liquids, choline formate, [Ch] [For], choline propanoate, [Ch][Pro], and choline butanoate, [Ch][But]. For the first time, this class of ionic liquids has been investigated by X-ray diffraction. Experimental and theoretical structure factors have been compared for each term of the series. Local structural organization has been obtained from ab initio calculations through static models of isolated ion pairs and dynamic simulations of small portions of liquids through twelve, ten, and nine ion pairs for [Ch][For], [Ch][Pro], and [Ch][But], respectively. All the theoretical models indicate that cations and anions are connected by strong hydrogen bonding and form stable ion pairs in the liquid that are reminiscent of the static ab initio ion pairs. Different structural aspects may affect the radial distribution function, like the local structure of ion pairs and the conformation of choline. When small portions of liquids have been simulated by dynamic quantum chemical methods, some key structural features of the X-ray radial distribution function were well reproduced whereas the classical force fields here applied did not entirely reproduce all the observed structural features.
Structural studies on choline-carboxylate bio-ionic liquids by x-ray scattering and molecular dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanzi, Luana; Ramondo, Fabio; Caminiti, Ruggero; Campetella, Marco; Di Luca, Andrea; Gontrani, Lorenzo

2015-01-01

We report a X-ray diffraction and molecular dynamics study on three choline-based bio-ionic liquids, choline formate, [Ch] [For], choline propanoate, [Ch][Pro], and choline butanoate, [Ch][But]. For the first time, this class of ionic liquids has been investigated by X-ray diffraction. Experimental and theoretical structure factors have been compared for each term of the series. Local structural organization has been obtained from ab initio calculations through static models of isolated ion pairs and dynamic simulations of small portions of liquids through twelve, ten, and nine ion pairs for [Ch][For], [Ch][Pro], and [Ch][But], respectively. All the theoretical models indicate that cations and anions are connected by strong hydrogen bonding and form stable ion pairs in the liquid that are reminiscent of the static ab initio ion pairs. Different structural aspects may affect the radial distribution function, like the local structure of ion pairs and the conformation of choline. When small portions of liquids have been simulated by dynamic quantum chemical methods, some key structural features of the X-ray radial distribution function were well reproduced whereas the classical force fields here applied did not entirely reproduce all the observed structural features
Structural studies on choline-carboxylate bio-ionic liquids by x-ray scattering and molecular dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanzi, Luana; Ramondo, Fabio, E-mail: fabio.ramondo@univaq.it [Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, L’Aquila I-67100 (Italy); Caminiti, Ruggero; Campetella, Marco; Di Luca, Andrea; Gontrani, Lorenzo, E-mail: lorenzo.gontrani@uniroma1.it [Department of Chemistry, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, P.le Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome (Italy)

2015-09-21

We report a X-ray diffraction and molecular dynamics study on three choline-based bio-ionic liquids, choline formate, [Ch] [For], choline propanoate, [Ch][Pro], and choline butanoate, [Ch][But]. For the first time, this class of ionic liquids has been investigated by X-ray diffraction. Experimental and theoretical structure factors have been compared for each term of the series. Local structural organization has been obtained from ab initio calculations through static models of isolated ion pairs and dynamic simulations of small portions of liquids through twelve, ten, and nine ion pairs for [Ch][For], [Ch][Pro], and [Ch][But], respectively. All the theoretical models indicate that cations and anions are connected by strong hydrogen bonding and form stable ion pairs in the liquid that are reminiscent of the static ab initio ion pairs. Different structural aspects may affect the radial distribution function, like the local structure of ion pairs and the conformation of choline. When small portions of liquids have been simulated by dynamic quantum chemical methods, some key structural features of the X-ray radial distribution function were well reproduced whereas the classical force fields here applied did not entirely reproduce all the observed structural features.
Modeling the sorption dynamics of NaH using a reactive force field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ojwang, J. G. O.; Santen, Rutger van; Kramer, Gert Jan; Duin, Adri C. T. van; Goddard, William A. III

2008-01-01

We have parametrized a reactive force field for NaH, ReaxFF NaH , against a training set of ab initio derived data. To ascertain that ReaxFF NaH is properly parametrized, a comparison between ab initio heats of formation of small representative NaH clusters with ReaxFF NaH was done. The results and trend of ReaxFF NaH are found to be consistent with ab initio values. Further validation includes comparing the equations of state of condensed phases of Na and NaH as calculated from ab initio and ReaxFF NaH . There is a good match between the two results, showing that ReaxFF NaH is correctly parametrized by the ab initio training set. ReaxFF NaH has been used to study the dynamics of hydrogen desorption in NaH particles. We find that ReaxFF NaH properly describes the surface molecular hydrogen charge transfer during the abstraction process. Results on heat of desorption versus cluster size shows that there is a strong dependence on the heat of desorption on the particle size, which implies that nanostructuring enhances desorption process. To gain more insight into the structural transformations of NaH during thermal decomposition, we performed a heating run in a molecular dynamics simulation. These runs exhibit a series of drops in potential energy, associated with cluster fragmentation and desorption of molecular hydrogen. This is consistent with experimental evidence that NaH dissociates at its melting point into smaller fragments
Ab initio and template-based prediction of multi-class distance maps by two-dimensional recursive neural networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Alberto JM

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Prediction of protein structures from their sequences is still one of the open grand challenges of computational biology. Some approaches to protein structure prediction, especially ab initio ones, rely to some extent on the prediction of residue contact maps. Residue contact map predictions have been assessed at the CASP competition for several years now. Although it has been shown that exact contact maps generally yield correct three-dimensional structures, this is true only at a relatively low resolution (3–4 Å from the native structure. Another known weakness of contact maps is that they are generally predicted ab initio, that is not exploiting information about potential homologues of known structure. Results We introduce a new class of distance restraints for protein structures: multi-class distance maps. We show that Cα trace reconstructions based on 4-class native maps are significantly better than those from residue contact maps. We then build two predictors of 4-class maps based on recursive neural networks: one ab initio, or relying on the sequence and on evolutionary information; one template-based, or in which homology information to known structures is provided as a further input. We show that virtually any level of sequence similarity to structural templates (down to less than 10% yields more accurate 4-class maps than the ab initio predictor. We show that template-based predictions by recursive neural networks are consistently better than the best template and than a number of combinations of the best available templates. We also extract binary residue contact maps at an 8 Å threshold (as per CASP assessment from the 4-class predictors and show that the template-based version is also more accurate than the best template and consistently better than the ab initio one, down to very low levels of sequence identity to structural templates. Furthermore, we test both ab-initio and template-based 8 �
Orbital free molecular dynamics; Approche sans orbitale des plasmas denses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lambert, F

2007-08-15

The microscopic properties of hot and dense plasmas stay a field essentially studied thanks to classical theories like the One Component Plasma, models which rely on free parameters, particularly ionization. In order to investigate these systems, we have used, in this PhD work, a semi-classical model, without free parameters, that is based on coupling consistently classical molecular dynamics for the nuclei and orbital free density functional theory for the electrons. The electronic fluid is represented by a free energy entirely determined by the local density. This approximation was validated by a comparison with an ab initio technique, quantum molecular dynamics. This one is identical to the previous except for the description of the free energy that depends on a quantum-independent-particle model. Orbital free molecular dynamics was then used to compute equation of state of boron and iron plasmas in the hot and dense regime. Furthermore, comparisons with classical theories were performed on structural and dynamical properties. Finally, equation of state and transport coefficients mixing laws were studied by direct simulation of a plasma composed of deuterium and copper. (author)
The Silica-Water Interface from the Analysis of Molecular Dynamic Simulations

KAUST Repository

Lardhi, Sheikha F.

2013-05-01

Surface chemistry is an emerging field that can give detailed insight about the elec- tronic properties and the interaction of complex material surfaces with their neigh- bors. This is for both solid-solid and solid-liquid interfaces. Among the latter class, the silica-water interface plays a major role in nature. Silica is among the most abundant materials on earth, as well in advanced technological applications such as catalysis and nanotechnology. This immediately indicates the relevance of a detailed understanding of the silica-water interface. In this study, we investigate the details of this interaction at microscopic level by analyzing trajectories obtained with ab initio molecular dynamic simulations. The system we consider consists of bulk liquid water confined between two β-cristobalite silica surfaces. The molecular dynamics were generated with the CP2K, an ab initio molecular dynamic simulation tool. The simulations are 25 picoseconds long, and the CP2K program was run on 64 cores on a supercomputer cluster. During the simulations the program integrates Newton’s equations of motion for the system and generates the trajectory for analysis. For analysis, we focused on the following properties that characterize the silica water interface. We calculated the density profile of the water layers from the silica surface, and we also calculated the radial distribution function (RDF) of the hydrogen bond at the silanols on the silica surface. The main focus of this thesis is to write the programs for calculating the atom density profile and the RDF from the generated MD trajectories. The atomic probability density profile shows that water is strongly adsorbed on the (001) cristobalite surface, while the RDF indicates differently ad- sorbed water molecules in the first adsorption layer. As final remark, the protocol and the tools developed in this thesis can be applied to the study of basically any crystal-water interface.
Ab initio calculations and experimental measurement of the deuterium quadrupole coupling constant in Na2PDO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trudeau, J.D.; Schwartz, J.L.; Farrar, T.C.

1991-01-01

The deuterium quadrupole coupling constant, χ D , in the PDO 3 2- anion has been measured in solution by NMR spin-lattice (T 1 ) relaxation time measurements and it has been calculated via ab initio methods. The experimental value of 94.7 ± 0.5 kHz is in excellent agreement with the ab initio value of 95.0 kHz. The activation energy for the ion reorientation is 2.23 ± 0.01 kJ mol -1
Determination of Quantum Chemistry Based Force Fields for Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Aromatic Polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Jaffe, Richard; Langhoff, Stephen R. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

Ab initio quantum chemistry calculations for model molecules can be used to parameterize force fields for molecular dynamics simulations of polymers. Emphasis in our research group is on using quantum chemistry-based force fields for molecular dynamics simulations of organic polymers in the melt and glassy states, but the methodology is applicable to simulations of small molecules, multicomponent systems and solutions. Special attention is paid to deriving reliable descriptions of the non-bonded and electrostatic interactions. Several procedures have been developed for deriving and calibrating these parameters. Our force fields for aromatic polyimide simulations will be described. In this application, the intermolecular interactions are the critical factor in determining many properties of the polymer (including its color).
Energetic, electronic and optical properties of lanthanide doped TiO2: An ab initio LDA+U study

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mulwa, WM

2016-05-01

Full Text Available potential, J. Chem. Phys. 118 (2003) 8207. doi:10.1063/1.1564060. [23] X. Ren, Beyond LDA and GGA - Tackling exact exchange , hybrid functional , MP2 , and RPA with numeric atom-centered orbitals The Fritz-Haber-Institute ab initio molecular simulations.... Calzolari, A. Ruini, A. Catellani, Anchor Group versus Conjugation: Toward the Gap-State Engineering of Functionalized ZnO (101̅0) Surface for Optoelectronic Applications, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133 (2011) 5893–5899. [36] R. Gillen, S.J. Clark, J. Robertson...

Shock melting method to determine melting curve by molecular dynamics: Cu, Pd, and Al.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhong-Li; Zhang, Xiu-Lu; Cai, Ling-Cang

2015-09-21

A melting simulation method, the shock melting (SM) method, is proposed and proved to be able to determine the melting curves of materials accurately and efficiently. The SM method, which is based on the multi-scale shock technique, determines melting curves by preheating and/or prepressurizing materials before shock. This strategy was extensively verified using both classical and ab initio molecular dynamics (MD). First, the SM method yielded the same satisfactory melting curve of Cu with only 360 atoms using classical MD, compared to the results from the Z-method and the two-phase coexistence method. Then, it also produced a satisfactory melting curve of Pd with only 756 atoms. Finally, the SM method combined with ab initio MD cheaply achieved a good melting curve of Al with only 180 atoms, which agrees well with the experimental data and the calculated results from other methods. It turned out that the SM method is an alternative efficient method for calculating the melting curves of materials.
Atomic and electronic structures of a-SiC:H from tight-binding molecular dynamics

CERN Document Server

Ivashchenko, V I; Shevchenko, V I; Ivashchenko, L A; Rusakov, G V

2003-01-01

The atomic and electronic properties of amorphous unhydrogenated (a-SiC) and hydrogenated (a-SiC:H) silicon carbides are studied using an sp sup 3 s sup * tight-binding force model with molecular dynamics simulations. The parameters of a repulsive pairwise potential are determined from ab initio pseudopotential calculations. Both carbides are generated from dilute vapours condensed from high temperature, with post-annealing at low temperature for a-SiC:H. A plausible model for the inter-atomic correlations and electronic states in a-SiC:H is suggested. According to this model, the formation of the amorphous network is weakly sensitive to the presence of hydrogen. Hydrogen passivates effectively only the weak bonds of threefold-coordinated atoms. Chemical ordering is very much affected by the cooling rate and the structure of the high-temperature vapour. The as-computed characteristics are in rather good agreement with the results for a-SiC and a-Si:H from ab initio calculations.
Shock melting method to determine melting curve by molecular dynamics: Cu, Pd, and Al

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Zhong-Li; Zhang, Xiu-Lu; Cai, Ling-Cang

2015-01-01

A melting simulation method, the shock melting (SM) method, is proposed and proved to be able to determine the melting curves of materials accurately and efficiently. The SM method, which is based on the multi-scale shock technique, determines melting curves by preheating and/or prepressurizing materials before shock. This strategy was extensively verified using both classical and ab initio molecular dynamics (MD). First, the SM method yielded the same satisfactory melting curve of Cu with only 360 atoms using classical MD, compared to the results from the Z-method and the two-phase coexistence method. Then, it also produced a satisfactory melting curve of Pd with only 756 atoms. Finally, the SM method combined with ab initio MD cheaply achieved a good melting curve of Al with only 180 atoms, which agrees well with the experimental data and the calculated results from other methods. It turned out that the SM method is an alternative efficient method for calculating the melting curves of materials
Ab initio study of gas phase and water-assisted tautomerization of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

WINTEC

Water-assisted tautomerization in maleimide and formamide showed that difference in energy barrier reduces to 2⋅83 kcal/mol from 10⋅41 kcal/mol (in gas phase) at B3LYP level, which resulted that maleimide readily undergoes tautomerization in water molecule. Keywords. Ab Initio calculations; maleimide; formamide; ...
Ab Initio Optimized Effective Potentials for Real Molecules in Optical Cavities: Photon Contributions to the Molecular Ground State

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

We introduce a simple scheme to efficiently compute photon exchange-correlation contributions due to the coupling to transversal photons as formulated in the newly developed quantum-electrodynamical density-functional theory (QEDFT).1−5 Our construction employs the optimized-effective potential (OEP) approach by means of the Sternheimer equation to avoid the explicit calculation of unoccupied states. We demonstrate the efficiency of the scheme by applying it to an exactly solvable GaAs quantum ring model system, a single azulene molecule, and chains of sodium dimers, all located in optical cavities and described in full real space. While the first example is a two-dimensional system and allows to benchmark the employed approximations, the latter two examples demonstrate that the correlated electron-photon interaction appreciably distorts the ground-state electronic structure of a real molecule. By using this scheme, we not only construct typical electronic observables, such as the electronic ground-state density, but also illustrate how photon observables, such as the photon number, and mixed electron-photon observables, for example, electron–photon correlation functions, become accessible in a density-functional theory (DFT) framework. This work constitutes the first three-dimensional ab initio calculation within the new QEDFT formalism and thus opens up a new computational route for the ab initio study of correlated electron–photon systems in quantum cavities. PMID:29594185
An Efficient Method for Electron-Atom Scattering Using Ab-initio Calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Yuan; Yang, Yonggang; Xiao, Liantuan; Jia, Suotang [Shanxi University, Taiyuan (China)

2017-02-15

We present an efficient method based on ab-initio calculations to investigate electron-atom scatterings. Those calculations profit from methods implemented in standard quantum chemistry programs. The new approach is applied to electron-helium scattering. The results are compared with experimental and other theoretical references to demonstrate the efficiency of our method.
Interplay of I-TASSER and QUARK for template-based and ab initio protein structure prediction in CASP10.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang

2014-02-01

We develop and test a new pipeline in CASP10 to predict protein structures based on an interplay of I-TASSER and QUARK for both free-modeling (FM) and template-based modeling (TBM) targets. The most noteworthy observation is that sorting through the threading template pool using the QUARK-based ab initio models as probes allows the detection of distant-homology templates which might be ignored by the traditional sequence profile-based threading alignment algorithms. Further template assembly refinement by I-TASSER resulted in successful folding of two medium-sized FM targets with >150 residues. For TBM, the multiple threading alignments from LOMETS are, for the first time, incorporated into the ab initio QUARK simulations, which were further refined by I-TASSER assembly refinement. Compared with the traditional threading assembly refinement procedures, the inclusion of the threading-constrained ab initio folding models can consistently improve the quality of the full-length models as assessed by the GDT-HA and hydrogen-bonding scores. Despite the success, significant challenges still exist in domain boundary prediction and consistent folding of medium-size proteins (especially beta-proteins) for nonhomologous targets. Further developments of sensitive fold-recognition and ab initio folding methods are critical for solving these problems. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ab initio theories of electric transport in solid systems with reduced dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weinberger, Peter

2003-01-01

Ab initio theories of electric transport in solid systems with reduced dimensions, i.e., systems that at best are characterized by two-dimensional translational invariance, are reviewed in terms of a fully relativistic description of the Kubo-Greenwood equation. As the use of this equation requires concepts such as collinearity and non-collinearity in order to properly define resistivities or resistances corresponding to particular magnetic configurations, respective consequences of the (local) density functional theory are recalled in quite a detailed manner. Furthermore, since theoretical descriptions of solid systems with reduced dimensions require quantum mechanical methods different from bulk systems (three-dimensional periodicity), the so-called Screened Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (SKKR-) method for layered systems is introduced together with a matching coherent potential approximation (inhomogeneous CPA). The applications shown are mainly meant to illustrate various aspects of electric transport in solid systems with reduced dimensions and comprise not only current-in-plane (CIP) experiments, but also current perpendicular to the planes of atoms geometries, consequences of tunneling, and finite nanostructures at or on metallic substrates. In order to give a more complete view of available ab initio methods also a non-relativistic approach based on the Tight Binding Linear Combination of muffin tin orbitals (TB-LMTO-) method and the so-called Kubo-Landauer equation in terms of transmission and reflection matrices is presented. A compilation of references with respect to ab-initio type approaches not explicitly discussed in here finally concludes the discussion of electric properties in solid systems with reduced dimensions
Ab-initio atomic level stress and role of d-orbitals in CuZr, CuZn and CuY

Science.gov (United States)

Ojha, Madhusudan; Nicholson, Don M.; Egami, Takeshi

2015-03-01

Atomic level stress offers a new tool to characterize materials within the local approximation to density functional theory (DFT). Ab-initio atomic level stresses in B2 structures of CuZr, CuZn and CuY are calculated and results are explained on the basis of d-orbital contributions to Density of States (DOS). The overlap of d-orbital DOS plays an important role in the relative magnitude of atomic level stresses in these structures. The trends in atomic level stresses that we observed in these simple B2 structures are also seen in complex structures such as liquids, glasses and solid solutions. The stresses are however modified by the different coordination and relaxed separation distances in these complex structures. We used the Locally Self-Consistent Multiple Scattering (LSMS) code and Vienna Ab-initio Simulation Package (VASP) for ab-initio calculations.
TiAl doping by vanadium: ab initio study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smirnova, E.A.; Isaev, Eh.I.; Vekilov, Yu.Kh.

2004-01-01

Tetragonality degree in TiAl and vanadium doping effect on it were studied using the methods of calculation based on approximation of coherent potential and ab initio pseudopotentials. It is shown that vanadium substitution for Ti sublattice atoms entails increase in tetragonality degree but with substitution of the atoms in aluminium sublattice the tetragonality of the TiAl:V alloy decreases and at the content of vanadium about 8 at. % the lattice becomes actually cubical. In its turn, it may result in increase in TiAl ductility, the alloy being brittle at low temperatures [ru
Thermal transport in nanocrystalline Si and SiGe by ab initio based Monte Carlo simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lina; Minnich, Austin J

2017-03-14

Nanocrystalline thermoelectric materials based on Si have long been of interest because Si is earth-abundant, inexpensive, and non-toxic. However, a poor understanding of phonon grain boundary scattering and its effect on thermal conductivity has impeded efforts to improve the thermoelectric figure of merit. Here, we report an ab-initio based computational study of thermal transport in nanocrystalline Si-based materials using a variance-reduced Monte Carlo method with the full phonon dispersion and intrinsic lifetimes from first-principles as input. By fitting the transmission profile of grain boundaries, we obtain excellent agreement with experimental thermal conductivity of nanocrystalline Si [Wang et al. Nano Letters 11, 2206 (2011)]. Based on these calculations, we examine phonon transport in nanocrystalline SiGe alloys with ab-initio electron-phonon scattering rates. Our calculations show that low energy phonons still transport substantial amounts of heat in these materials, despite scattering by electron-phonon interactions, due to the high transmission of phonons at grain boundaries, and thus improvements in ZT are still possible by disrupting these modes. This work demonstrates the important insights into phonon transport that can be obtained using ab-initio based Monte Carlo simulations in complex nanostructured materials.
Ab initio Calculations of Charge Symmetry Breaking in the A=4 Hypernuclei

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gazda, Daniel; Gal, A.

2016-01-01

Roč. 116, č. 12 (2016), s. 122501 ISSN 0031-9007 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-04301S Institutional support: RVO:61389005 Keywords : ab initio * shell model * four-body calculations Subject RIV: BE - Theoretical Physics Impact factor: 8.462, year: 2016
Ab initio calculation atomics ground state wave function for interactions Ion- Atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shojaee, F.; Bolori zadeh, M. A.

2007-01-01

Ab initio calculation atomics ground state wave function for interactions Ion- Atom Atomic wave function expressed in a Slater - type basis obtained within Roothaan- Hartree - Fock for the ground state of the atoms He through B. The total energy is given for each atom.
Molecular structures and vibrational frequencies of xanthine and its methyl derivatives (caffeine and theobromine) by ab initio Hartree-Fock and density functional theory calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Ucun, Fatih; Sağlam, Adnan; Güçlü, Vesile

2007-06-01

The molecular structures, vibrational frequencies and corresponding vibrational assignments of xanthine and its methyl derivatives (caffeine and theobromine) have been calculated using ab initio Hartree-Fock (HF) and density functional theory (B3LYP) methods with 6-31G(d, p) basis set level. The calculations were utilized to the CS symmetries of the molecules. The obtained vibrational frequencies and optimised geometric parameters (bond lengths and bond angles) were seen to be well agreement with the experimental data. The used scale factors which have been obtained the ratio of the frequency values of the strongest peaks in the calculated and experimental spectra seem to cause the gained vibrations well corresponding to the experimental ones. Theoretical infrared intensities and Raman activities are also reported.
Ab initio electronic stopping power in materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukri, Abdullah-Atef

2015-01-01

The average energy loss of an ion per unit path length when it is moving through the matter is named the stopping power. The knowledge of the stopping power is essential for a variety of contemporary applications which depend on the transport of ions in matter, especially ion beam analysis techniques and ion implantation. Most noticeably, the use of proton or heavier ion beams in radiotherapy requires the knowledge of the stopping power. Whereas experimental data are readily available for elemental solids, the data are much more scarce for compounds. The linear response dielectric formalism has been widely used in the past to study the electronic stopping power. In particular, the famous pioneering calculations due to Lindhard evaluate the electronic stopping power of a free electron gas. In this thesis, we develop a fully ab initio scheme based on linear response time-dependent density functional theory to predict the impact parameter averaged quantity named the random electronic stopping power (RESP) of materials without any empirical fitting. The purpose is to be capable of predicting the outcome of experiments without any knowledge of target material besides its crystallographic structure. Our developments have been done within the open source ab initio code named ABINIT, where two approximations are now available: the Random-Phase Approximation (RPA) and the Adiabatic Local Density Approximation (ALDA). Furthermore, a new method named 'extrapolation scheme' have been introduced to overcome the stringent convergence issues we have encountered. These convergence issues have prevented the previous studies in literature from offering a direct comparison to experiment. First of all, we demonstrate the importance of describing the realistic ab initio electronic structure by comparing with the historical Lindhard stopping power evaluation. Whereas the Lindhard stopping power provides a first order description that captures the general features of the
Ab-initio calculations of electric field gradient in Ru compounds and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

S N Mishra

2017-07-11

Jul 11, 2017 ... with calculated electric field gradient (EFG) for a large number of Ru-based compounds. The ab-initio ... zz assumed to stem from geometric arrangement of ... tant nuclear probes for the measurements of quadrupole ... with the unit cell including the nucleus and no restriction is put on ..... The effect of on-site ...
A neural network approach to the study of dynamics and structure of molecular systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Getino, C.; Sumpter, B.G.; Noid, D.W.

1994-01-01

Neural networks are used to study intramolecular energy flow in molecular systems (tetratomics to macromolecules), developing new techniques for efficient analysis of data obtained from molecular-dynamics and quantum mechanics calculations. Neural networks can map phase space points to intramolecular vibrational energies along a classical trajectory (example of complicated coordinate transformation), producing reasonably accurate values for any region of the multidimensional phase space of a tetratomic molecule. Neural network energy flow predictions are found to significantly enhance the molecular-dynamics method to longer time-scales and extensive averaging of trajectories for macromolecular systems. Pattern recognition abilities of neural networks can be used to discern phase space features. Neural networks can also expand model calculations by interpolation of costly quantum mechanical ab initio data, used to develop semiempirical potential energy functions
Ab initio van der waals interactions in simulations of water alter structure from mainly tetrahedral to high-density-like

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møgelhøj, Andreas; Kelkkanen, Kari André; Wikfeldt, K Thor

2011-01-01

The structure of liquid water at ambient conditions is studied in ab initio molecular dynamics simulations in the NVE ensemble using van der Waals (vdW) density-functional theory, i.e., using the new exchange-correlation functionals optPBE-vdW and vdW-DF2, where the latter has softer nonlocal...... protocol could cause the deviation. An O-O PCF consisting of a linear combination of 70% from vdW-DF2 and 30% from low-density liquid water, as extrapolated from experiments, reproduces near-quantitatively the experimental O-O PCF for ambient water. This suggests the possibility that the new functionals...... shows some resemblance with experiment for high-density water ( Soper , A. K. and Ricci , M. A. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2000 , 84 , 2881 ), but not directly with experiment for ambient water. Considering the accuracy of the new functionals for interaction energies, we investigate whether the simulation...
Ab initio study on the reaction between uranium and O2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shuai Maobing; Zhao Pengji; Tian Anmin

2000-08-01

Optimized geometries, total energies and electronic structures of some gaseous atoms and molecules of uranium-oxygen system are calculated with harmonic vibration analysis using ab initio method. The potential energy surfaces (PESs) of the uranium oxidation process are also constructed. The calculated optimized geometries, infrared vibrational frequencies and the first ionized potential energies are in well accordance with available experimental data. Although U6p, U7s and U6d valence orbital electrons take part in the formation of U - O bond, the U5f electrons play an dominant role in this process and because the energies of U5f, U6d, U7s and Uds atomic orbitals are close to each other, these orbitals may hybrid and interact with O2p orbital, simultaneously, to form molecular orbitals of uranium oxides. The PESs show that different reaction modes result in different product geometries
Anti-symmetrized molecular dynamics: a new insight into the structure of nuclei; La dynamique moleculaire antisymetrisee, une nouvelle facon de comprendre la structure des noyaux

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshiko, Kanada-En' yo [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization - KEK, Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies, Ibaraki (Japan); Masaaki, Kimura [Institute of Physical and Chemical Research - RIKEN, Saitama (Japan); Hisashi, Horiuchi [Kyoto Univ., Dept. of Physics, Graduate School of Science (Japan)

2003-06-01

The AMD (anti-symmetrized molecular dynamics) theory for nuclear structure is explained by showing its actual applications. First the formulation of AMD including various refined versions is briefly presented and its characteristics are discussed, putting a stress on its nature as an 'ab initio' theory. Then we demonstrate fruitful applications to various structure problems in stable nuclei, in order to explicitly verify the 'ab initio' nature of AMD, especially the ability to describe both mean-field-type structure and cluster structure. Finally, we show the results of applications of AMD to unstable nuclei, from which we see that AMD is powerful in elucidating and understanding various types of nuclear structure of unstable nuclei. (authors)

Propensities of oxalic, citric, succinic, and maleic acids for the aqueous solution/vapour interface: Surface tension measurements and molecular dynamics simulations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mahiuddin, S.; Minofar, Babak; Borah, J. M.; Das, M. R.; Jungwirth, Pavel

2008-01-01

Roč. 462, 4/6 (2008), s. 217-221 ISSN 0009-2614 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC512; GA ČR(CZ) GD203/05/H001 Grant - others:NSF(US) CHE0431312 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : carboxylic acids * molecular dynamics * ab initio calculations Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.169, year: 2008
Ab Initio theory of the Gilbert damping in random ferromagnetic alloys

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Drchal, Václav; Turek, I.; Kudrnovský, Josef

2017-01-01

Roč. 30, č. 6 (2017), s. 1669-1672 ISSN 1557-1939 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-13436S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : Gilbert damping * ferromagnetic alloys * ab initio * nonlocal torques Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.) Impact factor: 1.180, year: 2016
Ab initio calculations on hydrogen storage in porous carbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maresca, O.; Marinelli, F.; Pellenq, R.J.M.; Duclaux, L.; Azais, Ph.; Conard, J.

2005-01-01

We have investigated through ab initio computations the possible ways to achieve efficient hydrogen storage on carbons. Firstly, we have considered how the curvature of a carbon surface could affect the chemisorption of atomic H 0 Secondly, we show that electron donor elements such as Li and K, used as dopants for the carbon substrate, strongly enhance the physi-sorption energy of H 2 , allowing in principle its storage in this type of material at room temperature under mild conditions of pressure. (authors)
On the physical interpretation of torsion-rotation parameters in methanol and acetaldehyde: Comparison of global fit and ab initio results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, L.; Lees, R.M.; Hougen, J.T.

1999-01-01

Equilibrium structural constants and certain torsion endash rotation interaction parameters have been determined for methanol and acetaldehyde from ab initio calculations using GAUSSIAN 94. The substantial molecular flexing which occurs in going from the bottom to the top of the torsional potential barrier can be quantitatively related to coefficients of torsion endash rotation terms having a (1-cos ampersand hthinsp;3γ) dependence on torsional angle γ. The barrier height, six equilibrium structural constants characterizing the bottom of the potential well, and six torsion endash rotation constants are all compared to experimental parameters obtained from global fits to large microwave and far-infrared data sets for methanol and acetaldehyde. The rather encouraging agreement between the Gaussian and global fit results for methanol seems both to validate the accuracy of ab initio calculations of these parameters, and to demonstrate that the physical origin of these torsion endash rotation interaction terms in methanol lies primarily in structural relaxation with torsion. The less satisfactory agreement between theory and experiment for acetaldehyde requires further study. copyright 1999 American Institute of Physics
Molecular structures of Se(SCH3)2 and Te(SCH3)2 using gas-phase electron diffraction and ab initio and DFT geometry optimisations.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleischer, Holger; Wann, Derek A; Hinchley, Sarah L; Borisenko, Konstantin B; Lewis, James R; Mawhorter, Richard J; Robertson, Heather E; Rankin, David W H

2005-10-07

The molecular structures of Se(SCH(3))(2) and Te(SCH(3))(2) were investigated using gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) and ab initio and DFT geometry optimisations. While parameters involving H atoms were refined using flexible restraints according to the SARACEN method, parameters that depended only on heavy atoms could be refined without restraints. The GED-determined geometric parameters (r(h1)) are: rSe-S 219.1(1), rS-C 183.2(1), rC-H 109.6(4) pm; angleS-Se-S 102.9(3), angleSe-S-C 100.6(2), angleS-C-H (mean) 107.4(5), phiS-Se-S-C 87.9(20), phiSe-S-C-H 178.8(19) degrees for Se(SCH(3))(2), and rTe-S 238.1(2), rS-C 184.1(3), rC-H 110.0(6) pm; angleS-Te-S 98.9(6), angleTe-S-C 99.7(4), angleS-C-H (mean) 109.2(9), phiS-Te-S-C 73.0(48), phiTe-S-C-H 180.1(19) degrees for Te(SCH(3))(2). Ab initio and DFT calculations were performed at the HF, MP2 and B3LYP levels, employing either full-electron basis sets [3-21G(d) or 6-31G(d)] or an effective core potential with a valence basis set [LanL2DZ(d)]. The best fit to the GED structures was achieved at the MP2 level. Differences between GED and MP2 results for rS-C and angleS-Te-S were explained by the thermal population of excited vibrational states under the experimental conditions. All theoretical models agreed that each compound exists as two stable conformers, one in which the methyl groups are on the same side (g(+)g(-) conformer) and one in which they are on different sides (g(+)g(+) conformer) of the S-Y-S plane (Y = Se, Te). The conformational composition under the experimental conditions could not be resolved from the GED data. Despite GED R-factors and ab initio and DFT energies favouring the g(+)g(+) conformer, it is likely that both conformers are present, for Se(SCH(3))(2) as well as for Te(SCH(3))(2).
Ab initio, mean field theory and series expansions calculations study of electronic and magnetic properties of antiferromagnetic MnSe alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Masrour, R., E-mail: rachidmasrour@hotmail.com [Laboratory of Materials, Processes, Environment and Quality, Cady Ayyed University, National School of Applied Sciences, BP. 63, 46000 Safi (Morocco); LMPHE (URAC 12), Faculty of Science, Mohammed V-Agdal University, Rabat (Morocco); Hlil, E.K. [Institut Néel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Hamedoun, M. [Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies, MAScIR, Rabat (Morocco); Benyoussef, A. [LMPHE (URAC 12), Faculty of Science, Mohammed V-Agdal University, Rabat (Morocco); Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies, MAScIR, Rabat (Morocco); Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology, Rabat (Morocco); Mounkachi, O.; El Moussaoui, H. [Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies, MAScIR, Rabat (Morocco)

2014-06-01

Self-consistent ab initio calculations, based on DFT (Density Functional Theory) approach and using FLAPW (Full potential Linear Augmented Plane Wave) method, are performed to investigate both electronic and magnetic properties of the MnSe lattice. Polarized spin and spin–orbit coupling are included in calculations within the framework of the antiferromagnetic state between two adjacent Mn lattices. Magnetic moments considered to lie along (001) axes are computed. Obtained data from ab initio calculations are used as input for the high temperature series expansions (HTSEs) calculations to compute other magnetic parameters. The zero-field high temperature static susceptibility series of the spin −4.28 nearest-neighbor Ising model on face centered cubic (fcc) and lattices is thoroughly analyzed by means of a power series coherent anomaly method (CAM). The exchange interaction between the magnetic atoms and the Néel temperature are deduced using the mean filed and HTSEs theories. - Highlights: • Ab initio calculations are used to investigate both electronic and magnetic properties of the MnSe alloys. • Obtained data from ab initio calculations are used as input for the HTSEs. • The Néel temperature is obtained for MnSe alloys.
4He Thermophysical Properties: New Ab Initio Calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Hurly, John J.; Mehl, James B.

2007-01-01

Since 2000, atomic physicists have reduced the uncertainty of the helium-helium “ab initio” potential; for example, from approximately 0.6 % to 0.1 % at 4 bohr, and from 0.8 % to 0.1 % at 5.6 bohr. These results led us to: (1) construct a new inter-atomic potential ϕ07, (2) recalculate values of the second virial coefficient, the viscosity, and the thermal conductivity of 4He from 1 K to 10,000 K, and (3), analyze the uncertainties of the thermophysical properties that propagate from the uncertainty of ϕ07 and from the Born-Oppenheimer approximation of the electron-nucleon quantum mechanical system. We correct minor errors in a previous publication [J. J. Hurly and M. R. Moldover, J. Res. Nat. Inst. Standards Technol. 105, 667 (2000)] and compare our results with selected data published after 2000. The ab initio results tabulated here can serve as standards for the measurement of thermophysical properties. PMID:27110456
Molecular dynamics simulation of a DNA containing a single strand break

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamaguchi, H.; Siebers, G.; Furukawa, A.; Otagiri, N.; Osman, R

2002-07-01

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed for a dodecamer DNA containing a single strand break (SSB), which has been represented by a 3'-OH deoxyribose and 5'-OH phosphate in the middle of the strand. Molecular force field parameters of the 5'-OH phosphate region were determined from an ab initio calculation at the HF/6-31G level using the program package GAMESS. The DNA was placed in a periodic boundary box with water molecules and Na+ counter-ions to produce a neutralised system. After minimisation, the system was heated to 300 K, equilibrated and a production run at constant NTP was executed for 1 ns using AMBER 4.1. Snapshots of the SSB-containing DNA and a detailed analysis of the equilibriated average structure revealed surprisingly small conformational changes compared to normal DNA. However, dynamic properties calculated using the essential dynamics method showed some features that may be important for the recognition of this damage by repair enzymes. (author)
Electronic structure of Ge-2 and Ge-2 and thermodynamic properties of Ge-2 from all electron ab initio investigations and Knudsen effusion mass spectroscopic measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shim, Irene; Baba, M. Sai; Gingerich, K.A.

2002-01-01

The low-lying states of the molecule Ge-2 and of the ion Ge-2(-) have been investigated by all electron ab initio multiconfiguration self-consistent field (CASSCF) and multi-reference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations. The relativistic corrections for the Darwin contact term and for t......The low-lying states of the molecule Ge-2 and of the ion Ge-2(-) have been investigated by all electron ab initio multiconfiguration self-consistent field (CASSCF) and multi-reference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations. The relativistic corrections for the Darwin contact term...... excited states are presented. Thermal functions based on the theoretically determined molecular parameters were used to derive the thermodynamic properties of the Ge-2 molecule from new mass spectrometric equilibrium data. The literature value for the dissociation energy of Ge-2 has been re...
Computational prediction of muon stopping sites using ab initio random structure searching (AIRSS)

Science.gov (United States)

Liborio, Leandro; Sturniolo, Simone; Jochym, Dominik

2018-04-01

The stopping site of the muon in a muon-spin relaxation experiment is in general unknown. There are some techniques that can be used to guess the muon stopping site, but they often rely on approximations and are not generally applicable to all cases. In this work, we propose a purely theoretical method to predict muon stopping sites in crystalline materials from first principles. The method is based on a combination of ab initio calculations, random structure searching, and machine learning, and it has successfully predicted the MuT and MuBC stopping sites of muonium in Si, diamond, and Ge, as well as the muonium stopping site in LiF, without any recourse to experimental results. The method makes use of Soprano, a Python library developed to aid ab initio computational crystallography, that was publicly released and contains all the software tools necessary to reproduce our analysis.
Bridging a gap between continuum-QCD and ab initio predictions of hadron observables

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Binosi, Daniele [European Centre for Theoretical Studies in Nuclear Physics and Related Areas - ECT* and Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Villa Tambosi, Strada delle Tabarelle 286, I-38123 Villazzano (Italy); Chang, Lei [CSSM, School of Chemistry and Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005 (Australia); Papavassiliou, Joannis [Department of Theoretical Physics and IFIC, University of Valencia and CSIC, E-46100, Valencia (Spain); Roberts, Craig D., E-mail: cdroberts@anl.gov [Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)

2015-03-06

Within contemporary hadron physics there are two common methods for determining the momentum-dependence of the interaction between quarks: the top-down approach, which works toward an ab initio computation of the interaction via direct analysis of the gauge-sector gap equations; and the bottom-up scheme, which aims to infer the interaction by fitting data within a well-defined truncation of those equations in the matter sector that are relevant to bound-state properties. We unite these two approaches by demonstrating that the renormalisation-group-invariant running-interaction predicted by contemporary analyses of QCD's gauge sector coincides with that required in order to describe ground-state hadron observables using a nonperturbative truncation of QCD's Dyson–Schwinger equations in the matter sector. This bridges a gap that had lain between nonperturbative continuum-QCD and the ab initio prediction of bound-state properties.
Full quantum treatment of charge dynamics in amorphous molecular semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

de Vries, Xander; Friederich, Pascal; Wenzel, Wolfgang; Coehoorn, Reinder; Bobbert, Peter A.

2018-02-01

We present a treatment of charge dynamics in amorphous molecular semiconductors that accounts for the coupling of charges to all intramolecular phonon modes in a fully quantum mechanical way. Based on ab initio calculations, we derive charge transfer rates that improve on the widely used semiclassical Marcus rate and obtain benchmark results for the mobility and energetic relaxation of electrons and holes in three semiconductors commonly applied in organic light-emitting diodes. Surprisingly, we find very similar results when using the simple Miller-Abrahams rate. We conclude that extracting the disorder strength from temperature-dependent charge transport studies is very possible but extracting the reorganization energy is not.
Ab Initio Values of the Thermophysical Properties of Helium as Standards

Science.gov (United States)

Hurly, John J.; Moldover, Michael R.

2000-01-01

Recent quantum mechanical calculations of the interaction energy of pairs of helium atoms are accurate and some include reliable estimates of their uncertainty. We combined these ab initio results with earlier published results to obtain a helium-helium interatomic potential that includes relativistic retardation effects over all ranges of interaction. From this potential, we calculated the thermophysical properties of helium, i.e., the second virial coefficients, the dilute-gas viscosities, and the dilute-gas thermal conductivities of 3He, 4He, and their equimolar mixture from 1 K to 104 K. We also calculated the diffusion and thermal diffusion coefficients of mixtures of 3He and 4He. For the pure fluids, the uncertainties of the calculated values are dominated by the uncertainties of the potential; for the mixtures, the uncertainties of the transport properties also include contributions from approximations in the transport theory. In all cases, the uncertainties are smaller than the corresponding experimental uncertainties; therefore, we recommend the ab initio results be used as standards for calibrating instruments relying on these thermophysical properties. We present the calculated thermophysical properties in easy-to-use tabular form. PMID:27551630
Ab-initio study of hydrogen technology materials for hydrogen storage and proton conduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luduena, Guillermo Andres

2011-07-01

This dissertation deals with two specific aspects of a potential hydrogen-based energy economy, namely the problems of energy storage and energy conversion. In order to contribute to the solution of these problems, the structural and dynamical properties of two promising materials for hydrogen storage (lithium imide/amide) and proton conduction (poly[vinyl phosphonic acid]) are modeled on an atomistic scale by means of first principles molecular dynamics simulation methods. In the case of the hydrogen storage system lithium amide/imide (LiNH{sub 2}/Li{sub 2}NH), the focus was on the interplay of structural features and nuclear quantum effects. For these calculations, Path-Integral Molecular Dynamics (PIMD) simulations were used. The structures of these materials at room temperature were elucidated; in collaboration with an experimental group, a very good agreement between calculated and experimental solid-state {sup 1}H-NMR chemical shifts was observed. Specifically, the structure of Li{sub 2}NH features a disordered arrangement of the Li lattice, which was not reported in previous studies. In addition, a persistent precession of the NH bonds was observed in our simulations. We provide evidence that this precession is the consequence of a toroid-shaped effective potential, in which the protons in the material are immersed. This potential is essentially flat along the torus azimuthal angle, which might lead to important quantum delocalization effects of the protons over the torus. On the energy conversion side, the dynamics of protons in a proton conducting polymer (poly[vinyl phosphonic acid], PVPA) was studied by means of a steered ab-initio Molecular Dynamics approach applied on a simplified polymer model. The focus was put on understanding the microscopic proton transport mechanism in polymer membranes, and on characterizing the relevance of the local environment. This covers particularly the effect of water molecules, which participate in the hydrogen bonding
Resolving the anomalous infrared spectrum of the MeCN-HCl molecular cluster using ab Initio molecular dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bork, Nicolai Christian; Loukonen, Ville; Kjærgaard, Henrik Grum

2014-01-01

We present a molecular dynamics (MD) based study of the acetonitrile-hydrogen chloride molecular cluster in the gas phase, aimed at resolving the anomalous features often seen in infrared spectra of hydrogen bonded complexes. We find that the infrared spectrum obtained from the Fourier transform...... of the electric dipole moment autocorrelation function converges very slowly due to the floppy nature of the complex. Even after 55 picoseconds of simulation, significant differences in the modelled and experimental spectrum are seen, likely due to insufficient configurational sampling. Instead, we utilize the MD...... trajectory for a structural based analysis. We find that the most populated values of the N-H-Cl angle are around 162°. The global minimum energy conformation at 180.0° is essentially unpopulated. We re-model the spectrum by combining population data from the MD simulations with optimizations constraining...
Ab initio thermodynamic model for magnesium carbonates and hydrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaka, Anne M; Felmy, Andrew R

2014-09-04

An ab initio thermodynamic framework for predicting properties of hydrated magnesium carbonate minerals has been developed using density-functional theory linked to macroscopic thermodynamics through the experimental chemical potentials for MgO, water, and CO2. Including semiempirical dispersion via the Grimme method and small corrections to the generalized gradient approximation of Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof for the heat of formation yields a model with quantitative agreement for the benchmark minerals brucite, magnesite, nesquehonite, and hydromagnesite. The model shows how small differences in experimental conditions determine whether nesquehonite, hydromagnesite, or magnesite is the result of laboratory synthesis from carbonation of brucite, and what transformations are expected to occur on geological time scales. Because of the reliance on parameter-free first-principles methods, the model is reliably extensible to experimental conditions not readily accessible to experiment and to any mineral composition for which the structure is known or can be hypothesized, including structures containing defects, substitutions, or transitional structures during solid state transformations induced by temperature changes or processes such as water, CO2, or O2 diffusion. Demonstrated applications of the ab initio thermodynamic framework include an independent means to evaluate differences in thermodynamic data for lansfordite, predicting the properties of Mg analogues of Ca-based hydrated carbonates monohydrocalcite and ikaite, which have not been observed in nature, and an estimation of the thermodynamics of barringtonite from the stoichiometry and a single experimental observation.
Free energy landscape of dissociative adsorption of methane on ideal and defected graphene from ab initio simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Wlazło, M.; Majewski, J. A.

2018-03-01

We study the dissociative adsorption of methane at the surface of graphene. Free energy profiles, which include activation energies for different steps of the reaction, are computed from constrained ab initio molecular dynamics. At 300 K, the reaction barriers are much lower than experimental bond dissociation energies of gaseous methane, strongly indicating that the graphene surface acts as a catalyst of methane decomposition. On the other hand, the barriers are still much higher than on the nickel surface. Methane dissociation therefore occurs at a higher rate on nickel than on graphene. This reaction is a prerequisite for graphene growth from a precursor gas. Thus, the growth of the first monolayer should be a fast and efficient process while subsequent layers grow at a diminished rate and in a more controllable manner. Defects may also influence reaction energetics. This is evident from our results, in which simple defects (Stone-Wales defect and nitrogen substitution) lead to different free energy landscapes at both dissociation and adsorption steps of the process.
Internal force corrections with machine learning for quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jingheng; Shen, Lin; Yang, Weitao

2017-10-28

Ab initio quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) molecular dynamics simulation is a useful tool to calculate thermodynamic properties such as potential of mean force for chemical reactions but intensely time consuming. In this paper, we developed a new method using the internal force correction for low-level semiempirical QM/MM molecular dynamics samplings with a predefined reaction coordinate. As a correction term, the internal force was predicted with a machine learning scheme, which provides a sophisticated force field, and added to the atomic forces on the reaction coordinate related atoms at each integration step. We applied this method to two reactions in aqueous solution and reproduced potentials of mean force at the ab initio QM/MM level. The saving in computational cost is about 2 orders of magnitude. The present work reveals great potentials for machine learning in QM/MM simulations to study complex chemical processes.
Using ab initio 'data' to accurately determine the fourth density virial coefficient of helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moldover, Michael R.; McLinden, Mark O.

2010-01-01

We combine accurate ab initio calculations of the second and third density virial coefficients, B(T) and C(T), of 4 He with measurements of its (p-ρ-T) behavior to determine the fourth density virial coefficient D(T). The measurements were made with a two-sinker, magnetic-suspension densimeter at pressures up to 38 MPa. The measurements on isotherms from T = 223 K to T = 323 K were previously published; new measurements from T = 323 K to T = 500 K are presented here. On each isotherm, a regression of the virial expansion was constrained to the ab initio values of B(T) and C(T); the regression determined D(T) as well as two apparatus-dependent parameters that compensated for systematic errors in the measurements. The percentage uncertainties of D(T) ranged from 2.6% at T = 223 K to 9.5% at T = 400 K to 24.7% at T = 500 K, where these uncertainties are expanded uncertainties with coverage factor of k = 2 corresponding to a 95% confidence interval. These uncertainties are 1/6th of the uncertainty obtained without the ab initio values of B(T) and C(T). The apparatus-dependent parameters can be used to calibrate the densimeter, and this will reduce the uncertainty of other measurements made with this two-sinker densimeter. The new values of D(T) will find applications in accurate gas metrology, such as a primary pressure standard based on the refractive index of helium.
Ab initio and work function and surface energy anisotropy of LaB6

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uijttewaal, M. A.; de Wijs, G. A.; de Groot, R. A.

2006-01-01

Lanthanum hexaboride is one of the cathode materials most used in high-power electronics technology, but the many experimental results do not provide a consistent picture of the surface properties. Therefore, we report the first ab initio calculations of the work functions and surface energies of

Deep Potential Molecular Dynamics: A Scalable Model with the Accuracy of Quantum Mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Linfeng; Han, Jiequn; Wang, Han; Car, Roberto; E, Weinan

2018-04-01

We introduce a scheme for molecular simulations, the deep potential molecular dynamics (DPMD) method, based on a many-body potential and interatomic forces generated by a carefully crafted deep neural network trained with ab initio data. The neural network model preserves all the natural symmetries in the problem. It is first-principles based in the sense that there are no ad hoc components aside from the network model. We show that the proposed scheme provides an efficient and accurate protocol in a variety of systems, including bulk materials and molecules. In all these cases, DPMD gives results that are essentially indistinguishable from the original data, at a cost that scales linearly with system size.
High-throughput ab-initio dilute solute diffusion database.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Henry; Mayeshiba, Tam; Morgan, Dane

2016-07-19

We demonstrate automated generation of diffusion databases from high-throughput density functional theory (DFT) calculations. A total of more than 230 dilute solute diffusion systems in Mg, Al, Cu, Ni, Pd, and Pt host lattices have been determined using multi-frequency diffusion models. We apply a correction method for solute diffusion in alloys using experimental and simulated values of host self-diffusivity. We find good agreement with experimental solute diffusion data, obtaining a weighted activation barrier RMS error of 0.176 eV when excluding magnetic solutes in non-magnetic alloys. The compiled database is the largest collection of consistently calculated ab-initio solute diffusion data in the world.
The hydrogen abstraction reaction O(3P) + CH4: A new analytical potential energy surface based on fit to ab initio calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González-Lavado, Eloisa; Corchado, Jose C.; Espinosa-Garcia, Joaquin

2014-01-01

Based exclusively on high-level ab initio calculations, a new full-dimensional analytical potential energy surface (PES-2014) for the gas-phase reaction of hydrogen abstraction from methane by an oxygen atom is developed. The ab initio information employed in the fit includes properties (equilibrium geometries, relative energies, and vibrational frequencies) of the reactants, products, saddle point, points on the reaction path, and points on the reaction swath, taking especial caution respecting the location and characterization of the intermediate complexes in the entrance and exit channels. By comparing with the reference results we show that the resulting PES-2014 reproduces reasonably well the whole set of ab initio data used in the fitting, obtained at the CCSD(T) = FULL/aug-cc-pVQZ//CCSD(T) = FC/cc-pVTZ single point level, which represents a severe test of the new surface. As a first application, on this analytical surface we perform an extensive dynamics study using quasi-classical trajectory calculations, comparing the results with recent experimental and theoretical data. The excitation function increases with energy (concave-up) reproducing experimental and theoretical information, although our values are somewhat larger. The OH rotovibrational distribution is cold in agreement with experiment. Finally, our results reproduce experimental backward scattering distribution, associated to a rebound mechanism. These results lend confidence to the accuracy of the new surface, which substantially improves the results obtained with our previous surface (PES-2000) for the same system
Ab Initio Modeling of Structure and Properties of Single and Mixed Alkali Silicate Glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Baral, Khagendra; Li, Aize; Ching, Wai-Yim

2017-10-12

A density functional theory (DFT)-based ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) has been applied to simulate models of single and mixed alkali silicate glasses with two different molar concentrations of alkali oxides. The structural environments and spatial distributions of alkali ions in the 10 simulated models with 20% and 30% of Li, Na, K and equal proportions of Li-Na and Na-K are studied in detail for subtle variations among the models. Quantum mechanical calculations of electronic structures, interatomic bonding, and mechanical and optical properties are carried out for each of the models, and the results are compared with available experimental observation and other simulations. The calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental data. We have used the novel concept of using the total bond order density (TBOD), a quantum mechanical metric, to characterize internal cohesion in these glass models. The mixed alkali effect (MAE) is visible in the bulk mechanical properties but not obvious in other physical properties studied in this paper. We show that Li doping deviates from expected trend due to the much stronger Li-O bonding than those of Na and K doping. The approach used in this study is in contrast with current studies in alkali-doped silicate glasses based only on geometric characterizations.
Ab initio Based Modeling of Radiation Effects in Multi-Component Alloys: Final Scientific/Technical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dane Morgan

2010-06-10

The project began March 13, 2006, allocated for three years, and received a one year extension from March 13, 2009 to March 12, 2010. It has now completed 48 of 48 total months. The project was focused on using ab initio methods to gain insights into radiation induced segregation (RIS) in Ni-Fe-Cr alloys. The project had the following key accomplishments • Development of a large database of ab initio energetics that can be used by many researchers in the future for increased understanding of this system. For example, we have the first calculations showing a dramatic stabilization effect of Cr-Cr interstitial dumbbells in Ni. • Prediction of both vacancy and interstitial diffusion constants for Ni-Cr and Ni-Fe for dilute Cr and Fe. This work included generalization of widely used multifrequency models to make use of ab initio derived energetics and thermodynamics. • Prediction of qualitative trends of RIS from vacancy and interstitial mechanisms, suggesting the two types of defect fluxes drive Cr RIS in opposite directions. • Detailed kinetic Monte Carlo modeling of diffusion by vacancy mechanism in Ni-Cr as a function of Cr concentration. The results demonstrate that Cr content can have a significant effect on RIS. • Development of a quantitative RIS transport model, including models for thermodynamic factors and boundary conditions.
Calibration of Sn-119 isomer shift using ab initio wave function methods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kurian, Reshmi; Filatov, Michael

2009-01-01

The isomer shift for the 23.87 keV M1 resonant transition in the Sn-119 nucleus is calibrated with the help of ab initio calculations. The calibration constant alpha(Sn-119) obtained from Hartree-Fock (HF) calculations (alpha(HF)(Sn-119)=(0.081 +/- 0.002)a(0)(-3) mm/s) and from second-order
DNA oligonucleotide-cis-platin Binding: Ab initio interpretation of the vibrational spectra

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Andrushchenko, Valery; Wieser, H.; Bouř, Petr

2007-01-01

Roč. 111, č. 39 (2007), s. 9714-9723 ISSN 1089-5639 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA400550702; GA ČR GA202/07/0732 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : cis - platin * DNA * vibrational spektra * ab initio Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.918, year: 2007
All-electron ab initio investigations of the electronic states of the NiC molecule

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shim, Irene; Gingerich, Karl. A.

1999-01-01

The low-lying electronic states of NiC are investigated by all-electron ab initio multi-configuration self-consistent-field (CASSCF) calculations including relativistic corrections. The electronic structure of NiC is interpreted as perturbed antiferromagnetic couplings of the localized angular...
Oxidation of ligand-protected aluminum clusters: An ab initio molecular dynamics study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alnemrat, Sufian; Hooper, Joseph P.

2014-01-01

We report Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations of the oxidation of ligand-protected aluminum clusters that form a prototypical cluster-assembled material. These clusters contain a small aluminum core surrounded by a monolayer of organic ligand. The aromatic cyclopentadienyl ligands form a strong bond with surface Al atoms, giving rise to an organometallic cluster that crystallizes into a low-symmetry solid and is briefly stable in air before oxidizing. Our calculations of isolated aluminum/cyclopentadienyl clusters reacting with oxygen show minimal reaction between the ligand and O 2 molecules at simulation temperatures of 500 and 1000 K. In all cases, the reaction pathway involves O 2 diffusing through the ligand barrier, splitting into atomic oxygen upon contact with the aluminum, and forming an oxide cluster with aluminum/ligand bonds still largely intact. Loss of individual aluminum-ligand units, as expected from unimolecular decomposition calculations, is not observed except following significant oxidation. These calculations highlight the role of the ligand in providing a steric barrier against oxidizers and in maintaining the large aluminum surface area of the solid-state cluster material
Temperature specification in atomistic molecular dynamics and its impact on simulation efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Ocaya, R. O.; Terblans, J. J.

2017-10-01

Temperature is a vital thermodynamical function for physical systems. Knowledge of system temperature permits assessment of system ergodicity, entropy, system state and stability. Rapid theoretical and computational developments in the fields of condensed matter physics, chemistry, material science, molecular biology, nanotechnology and others necessitate clarity in the temperature specification. Temperature-based materials simulations, both standalone and distributed computing, are projected to grow in prominence over diverse research fields. In this article we discuss the apparent variability of temperature modeling formalisms used currently in atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, with respect to system energetics,dynamics and structural evolution. Commercial simulation programs, which by nature are heuristic, do not openly discuss this fundamental question. We address temperature specification in the context of atomistic molecular dynamics. We define a thermostat at 400K relative to a heat bath at 300K firstly using a modified ab-initio Newtonian method, and secondly using a Monte-Carlo method. The thermostatic vacancy formation and cohesion energies, equilibrium lattice constant for FCC copper is then calculated. Finally we compare and contrast the results.
Ab initio investigation of superconductivity in orthorhombic MgPtSi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tütüncü, H.M., E-mail: tutuncu@sakarya.edu.tr [Sakarya Üniversitesi, Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi, Fizik Bölümü, 54187, Adapazarı (Turkey); Sakarya Üniversitesi, BIMAYAM Biyomedikal, Manyetik ve Yarıiletken Malzemeler Araştırma Merkezi, 54187, Adapazarı (Turkey); Ertuǧrul Karaca [Sakarya Üniversitesi, Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi, Fizik Bölümü, 54187, Adapazarı (Turkey); Srivastava, G.P. [School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom)

2016-07-15

We have performed an ab initio study of electronic, vibrational and superconducting properties of the orthorhombic MgPtSi by employing the density functional theory, a linear-response formalism, and the plane-wave pseudopotential method. Our electronic results suggest that the density of states at the Fermi level is primarily contributed by Pt 5d and Si 3p states with much smaller contribution from Mg electronic states. Phonon anomalies have been found for all three acoustic branches. Due to these phonon anomalies, the acoustic branches make large contributions to the average electron-phonon coupling parameter. From the Eliashberg spectral function, the value of average electron-phonon coupling parameter is found to 0.707. Using this value, the superconducting critical temperature is obtained to be 2.4 K, in excellent accordance with its experimental value of 2.5 K. - Highlights: • The electronic structure of MgPtSi is studied using ab initio pseudopotential method. • Phonons and electron–phonon interaction in MgPtSi are studied using a linear response theory. • The acoustic phonon modes couple more strongly with electrons. • The value of λ is found to be 0.707 which shows that MgPtSi is a conventional honon-mediated superconductor. • The calculated T{sub c} of 2.4 K is in excellent accordance with its experimental value of 2.5 K.
State-dependent electron delocalization dynamics at the solute-solvent interface: soft-x-ray absorption spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bokarev, Sergey I; Dantz, Marcus; Suljoti, Edlira; Kühn, Oliver; Aziz, Emad F

2013-08-23

Nonradiative decay channels in the L-edge fluorescence yield spectra from transition-metal-aqueous solutions give rise to spectral distortions with respect to x-ray transmission spectra. Their origin is unraveled here using partial and inverse partial fluorescence yields on the microjet combined with multireference ab initio electronic structure calculations. Comparing Fe2+, Fe3+, and Co2+ systems we demonstrate and quantify unequivocally the state-dependent electron delocalization within the manifold of d orbitals as one origin of this observation.
Study on the surface hydroxyl group on solid breeding materials by ab-initio calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanaka, Satoru; Taniguchi, Masaki [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1996-10-01

The nature of -OH on the surface of Li{sub 2}O was analyzed with the ab-initio quantum chemical calculation technique. Calculation results showed that the stretching vibration of O-H is affected by the chemical species around the -OH. (author)
All electron ab initio investigations of the electronic states of the FeC molecule

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shim, Irene; Gingerich, Karl A.

1999-01-01

The low lying electronic states of the molecule FeC have been investigated by performing all electron ab initio multi-configuration self-consistent-field (CASSCF) and multi reference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations. The relativistic corrections for the one electron Darwin contact term...
All Electron ab initio Investigations of the Electronic States of the MoN Molecule

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shim, Irene; Gingerich, Karl A.

1999-01-01

The low lying electronic states of the molecule MoN have been investigated by performing all electron ab initio multi-configuration self-consistent-field (CASSCF) calculations. The relativistic corrections for the one electron Darwin contact term and the relativistic mass-velocity correction have...
Atomic defects in monolayer WSe2 tunneling FETs studied by systematic ab initio calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jixuan; Fan, Zhiqiang; Chen, Jiezhi; Jiang, Xiangwei

2018-05-01

Atomic defects in monolayer WSe2 tunneling FETs (TFETs) are studied through systematic ab initio calculations aiming at performance predictions and enhancements. The effects of various defect positions and different passivation atoms are characterized in WSe2 TFETs by rigorous ab initio quantum transport simulations. It is suggested that the Se vacancy (VSe) defect located in the gate-controlled channel region tends to increase the OFF current (I off), whereas it can be well suppressed by oxygen passivation. It is demonstrated that chlorine (Cl) passivation at the source-side tunneling region can largely suppress I off, leading to an impressively improved on–off ratio (I on/I off) compared with that without any defect. However, it is also observed that randomly positioned atomic defects tend to induce significant fluctuation of the TFET output. Further discussions are made with focus on the performance-variability trade-off for robust circuit design.
Ionic Diffusion in a Ternary Superionic Conductor: An {ital Ab Initio} Molecular Dynamics Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wengert, S.; Nesper, R.; Andreoni, W.; Parrinello, M. [Laboratorium fuer Anorganische Chemie, ETH Zuerich, 8092 Zuerich (Switzerland)]|[IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, 8803 Rueschlikon (Switzerland)]|[Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany)

1996-12-01

We present Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations of a novel superionic conductor, Li{sub 2{minus}2{ital x}}Mg{sub 1+{ital x}}Si ({ital x}{approximately}0.06), at different temperatures. The calculations clarify the nature of the ionic conduction and lead to the prediction of the first inorganic magnesium superionic conductor. In fact, both lithium and magnesium are found to act as charge carriers. The diffusion is fast and can be described as vacancy migration through directed jumps. The calculated diffusion constants for lithium are consistent with recent electrochemical measurements. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Character of intermolecular interaction in pyridine-argon complex: Ab initio potential energy surface, internal dynamics, and interrelations between SAPT energy components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makarewicz, Jan, E-mail: jama@amu.edu.pl; Shirkov, Leonid [Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89b, 61-614 Poznań (Poland)

2016-05-28

The pyridine-Ar (PAr) van der Waals (vdW) complex is studied using a high level ab initio method. Its structure, binding energy, and intermolecular vibrational states are determined from the analytical potential energy surface constructed from interaction energy (IE) values computed at the coupled cluster level of theory with single, double, and perturbatively included triple excitations with the augmented correlation consistent polarized valence double-ζ (aug-cc-pVDZ) basis set complemented by midbond functions. The structure of the complex at its global minimum with Ar at a distance of 3.509 Å from the pyridine plane and shifted by 0.218 Å from the center of mass towards nitrogen agrees well with the corresponding equilibrium structure derived previously from the rotational spectrum of PAr. The PAr binding energy D{sub e} of 392 cm{sup −1} is close to that of 387 cm{sup −1} calculated earlier at the same ab initio level for the prototypical benzene-Ar (BAr) complex. However, under an extension of the basis set, D{sub e} for PAr becomes slightly lower than D{sub e} for BAr. The ab initio vdW vibrational energy levels allow us to estimate the reliability of the methods for the determination of the vdW fundamentals from the rotational spectra. To disclose the character of the intermolecular interaction in PAr, the symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) is employed for the analysis of different physical contributions to IE. It is found that SAPT components of IE can be approximately expressed in the binding region by only two of them: the exchange repulsion and dispersion energy. The total induction effect is negligible. The interrelations between various SAPT components found for PAr are fulfilled for a few other complexes involving aromatic molecules and Ar or Ne, which indicates that they are valid for all rare gas (Rg) atoms and aromatics.
NH2- in a cold ion trap with He buffer gas: Ab initio quantum modeling of the interaction potential and of state-changing multichannel dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández Vera, Mario; Yurtsever, Ersin; Wester, Roland; Gianturco, Franco A.

2018-05-01

We present an extensive range of accurate ab initio calculations, which map in detail the spatial electronic potential energy surface that describes the interaction between the molecular anion NH2 - (1A1) in its ground electronic state and the He atom. The time-independent close-coupling method is employed to generate the corresponding rotationally inelastic cross sections, and then the state-changing rates over a range of temperatures from 10 to 30 K, which is expected to realistically represent the experimental trapping conditions for this ion in a radio frequency ion trap filled with helium buffer gas. The overall evolutionary kinetics of the rotational level population involving the molecular anion in the cold trap is also modelled during a photodetachment experiment and analyzed using the computed rates. The present results clearly indicate the possibility of selectively detecting differences in behavior between the ortho- and para-anions undergoing photodetachment in the trap.
Ab initio excited states calculations of Kr3+, probing semi-empirical modelling

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Milko, Petr; Kalus, R.; Paidarová, Ivana; Hrušák, Jan; Gadéa, F. X.

-, 23 June (2009), s. 25 ISSN 1432-2234 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100400501 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : cluster modelling * rare gas ions * ab initio potential energie * evaporation energies Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry http://www.springerlink.com/content/100493/?Content+Status=Accepted&sort=p_OnlineDate&sortorder=desc&v=condensed&o=20

Ab initio quantum-enhanced optical phase estimation using real-time feedback control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berni, Adriano; Gehring, Tobias; Nielsen, Bo Melholt

2015-01-01

of a quantum-enhanced and fully deterministic ab initio phase estimation protocol based on real-time feedback control. Using robust squeezed states of light combined with a real-time Bayesian adaptive estimation algorithm, we demonstrate deterministic phase estimation with a precision beyond the quantum shot...... noise limit. The demonstrated protocol opens up new opportunities for quantum microscopy, quantum metrology and quantum information processing....
Ab initio methods for electron-molecule collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, L.A.; Schneider, B.I.

1987-01-01

This review concentrates on the recent advances in treating the electronic aspect of the electron-molecule interaction and leaves to other articles the description of the rotational and vibrational motions. Those methods which give the most complete treatment of the direct, exchange, and correlation effects are focused on. Such full treatments are generally necessary at energies below a few Rydbergs (≅ 60 eV). This choice unfortunately necessitates omission of those active and vital areas devoted to the development of model potentials and approximate scattering formulations. The ab initio and model approaches complement each other and are both extremely important to the full explication of the electron-scattering process. Due to the rapid developments of recent years, the approaches that provide the fullest treatment are concentrated on. 81 refs
Ab initio study of weakly bound halogen complexes: RX⋯PH3.

Science.gov (United States)

Georg, Herbert C; Fileti, Eudes E; Malaspina, Thaciana

2013-01-01

Ab initio calculations were employed to study the role of ipso carbon hybridization in halogenated compounds RX (R=methyl, phenyl, acetyl, H and X=F, Cl, Br and I) and its interaction with a phosphorus atom, as occurs in the halogen bonded complex type RX⋯PH3. The analysis was performed using ab initio MP2, MP4 and CCSD(T) methods. Systematic energy analysis found that the interaction energies are in the range -4.14 to -11.92 kJ mol(-1) (at MP2 level without ZPE correction). Effects of electronic correlation levels were evaluated at MP4 and CCSD(T) levels and a reduction of up to 27% in interaction energy obtained in MP2 was observed. Analysis of the electrostatic maps confirms that the PhCl⋯PH3 and all MeX⋯PH3 complexes are unstable. NBO analysis suggested that the charge transfer between the moieties is bigger when using iodine than bromine and chlorine. The electrical properties of these complexes (dipole and polarizability) were determined and the most important observed aspect was the systematic increase at the dipole polarizability, given by the interaction polarizability. This increase is in the range of 0.7-6.7 u.a. (about 3-7%).
Phase diagrams from ab-initio calculations: Re-W and Fe-B

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hammerschmidt, Thomas; Bialon, Arthur; Palumbo, Mauro; Fries, Suzana G.; Drautz, Ralf [ICAMS, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum (Germany)

2011-07-01

The CALPHAD (CaLculation of Phase Diagrams) method relies on Gibbs energy databases and is of limited predictive power in cases where only limited experimental data is available for constructing the Gibbs energy databases. This is problematic for, e.g., the calculation of the phase transformation kinetics within phase field simulations that not only require the thermodynamic equilibrium data but also information on metastable phases. Such information is difficult to obtain directly from experiment but ab-initio calculations may supplement experimental databases as they comprise metastable phases and arbitrary chemical compositions. We present simulations for two prototypical systems: Re-W and Fe-B. For both systems we calculate the heat of formation for an extensive set of structures using ab-initio calculations and employ the total energies in CALPHAD in order to determine the corresponding phase diagrams. We account for the configurational entropy within the Bragg-Williams approximation and neglect the phenomenological excess-term that is commonly used in CALPHAD as well as the contribution of phonons and electronic excitations to the free energy. According to our calculations the complex intermetallic phases in Re-W are stabilized by the configurational entropy. For Fe-B, we calculate metastable and stable phase diagrams including recently predicted new stable phases.
Quantum-chemical ab initio and B3LYP investigation of tricyanides and triisocyanides of Al, Ga, In

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timoshkin, A.Yu.; Shefer, G.F.

2000-01-01

Ab initio and density functional B3LYP methods are used to obtain structural parameters, standard entropies and vibrational spectra of cyanides and isocyanides of trivalent Al, Ga, In for the first time. It is pointed out that for In cyanide form is more stable. There is divergence in data obtained in the framework of self-consistent field and by B3LYP methods what indicates importance of estimation of energy of electronic correlation and in the same time comparison of basic sets DZP and LANL2DZP demonstrates insufficiency of basic sets with effective potentials of skeleton for description molecular tricyanides of elements of the 3a group [ru
Ab initio NMR parameters of BrCH3 and ICH3 with relativistic and vibrational corrections

Science.gov (United States)

Uhlíková, Tereza; Urban, Štěpán

2018-05-01

This study is focused on two effects identified when NMR parameters are calculated based on first principles. These effects are 1. vibrational correction of properties when using ab initio optimized equilibrium geometry; 2. relativistic effects and limits of using the Flygare equation. These effects have been investigated and determined for nuclear spin-rotation constants and nuclear magnetic shieldings for the CH3Br and CH3I molecules. The most significant result is the difference between chemical shieldings determined based on the ab initio relativistic four-component Dirac-Coulomb Hamiltonian and chemical shieldings calculated using experimental values and the Flygare equation. This difference is approximately 320 ppm and 1290 ppm for 79Br and 127I in the CH3X molecule, respectively.
Study of wide band-gap crystal LiCaAlF6 by IR-reflection spectroscopy and ab initio calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novikova, N.N.; Klimin, S.A.; Mavrin, B.N.

2017-01-01

Polarized IR-reflection spectra and results of ab initio calculations of vibrational and electronic properties of LiCaAlF6 single crystal are presented. It is shown that the crystal band gap is direct. Experimental and theoretical parameters are obtained for dipole-active and all phonons, respectively, including silent modes. Experimental IR-reflection and Raman spectra are well described in the frame of results obtained by ab initio calculations. The peculiarities are discussed concerning the structure of electronic bands, the interatomic interactions, the character of lattice vibrations, and the phonon dispersion.
Progress towards an ab initio real-time treatment of warm dense matter

Science.gov (United States)

Baczewski, Andrew; Cangi, Attila; Hansen, Stephanie; Jensen, Daniel

2017-10-01

Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) provides an accurate description of equilibrium properties of warm dense matter, such as the dynamic structure factor (Baczewski et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 116(11), 2016). While non-equilibrium properties, such as stopping power, have also been demonstrated to be within the grasp of TDDFT, the ultrafast isochoric heating of condensed matter into the warm dense state, enabled by recent advances in XFELs, remains beyond its capabilities. In this talk, we will describe the successes of and continuing challenges for TDDFT for warm dense matter, and present progress towards a more complete ab initio treatment of isochoric x-ray heating. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.
PAC study of dynamic hyperfine interactions at {sup 111}In-doped Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} semiconductor and comparison with ab initio calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Munoz, E. L., E-mail: munoz@fisica.unlp.edu.ar; Richard, D. [Departamento de Fisica and Instituto de Fisica La Plata (IFLP, CCT La Plata, CONICET) (Argentina); Carbonari, A. W. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas y Nucleares-IPEN-CNEN/SP (Brazil); Errico, L. A.; Renteria, M. [Departamento de Fisica and Instituto de Fisica La Plata (IFLP, CCT La Plata, CONICET) (Argentina)

2010-04-15

Time-Differential {gamma}-{gamma} Perturbed-Angular-Correlation (PAC) measurements were performed in {sup 111}In-difussed Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} polycrystals in order to characterize the electric-field-gradient tensor at {sup 111}Cd nuclei located at the two non-equivalent cation sites of the host lattice. The experimental data were compared with ab initio calculations performed using the Full-Potential Augmented Plane Wave plus local orbital (FP-APW+lo) method in the framework of the Density Functional Theory. The PAC experiments were carried out in air in the temperature range 10-900 K. The spectra present a strong damping below 650 K. This damping is associated with dynamic hyperfine interactions that were analyzed with the perturbation factor proposed by Baeverstam et al.. A model based in the population of impurity levels that are introduced by the Cd probes (supported by FP-APW+lo results) is proposed in order to explain the origin of the observed dynamic interactions.
Machine learning of accurate energy-conserving molecular force fields

Science.gov (United States)

Chmiela, Stefan; Tkatchenko, Alexandre; Sauceda, Huziel E.; Poltavsky, Igor; Schütt, Kristof T.; Müller, Klaus-Robert

2017-01-01

Using conservation of energy—a fundamental property of closed classical and quantum mechanical systems—we develop an efficient gradient-domain machine learning (GDML) approach to construct accurate molecular force fields using a restricted number of samples from ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) trajectories. The GDML implementation is able to reproduce global potential energy surfaces of intermediate-sized molecules with an accuracy of 0.3 kcal mol−1 for energies and 1 kcal mol−1 Å̊−1 for atomic forces using only 1000 conformational geometries for training. We demonstrate this accuracy for AIMD trajectories of molecules, including benzene, toluene, naphthalene, ethanol, uracil, and aspirin. The challenge of constructing conservative force fields is accomplished in our work by learning in a Hilbert space of vector-valued functions that obey the law of energy conservation. The GDML approach enables quantitative molecular dynamics simulations for molecules at a fraction of cost of explicit AIMD calculations, thereby allowing the construction of efficient force fields with the accuracy and transferability of high-level ab initio methods. PMID:28508076
Excited state non-adiabatic dynamics of the smallest polyene, trans 1,3-butadiene. II. Ab initio multiple spawning simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Glover, William J.; Mori, Toshifumi; Schuurman, Michael S.; Boguslavskiy, Andrey E.; Schalk, Oliver; Stolow, Albert; Martínez, Todd J.

2018-04-01

The excited state non-adiabatic dynamics of the smallest polyene, trans 1,3-butadiene (BD), has long been the subject of controversy due to its strong coupling, ultrafast time scales and the difficulties that theory faces in describing the relevant electronic states in a balanced fashion. Here we apply Ab Initio Multiple Spawning (AIMS) using state-averaged complete active space multistate second order perturbation theory [SA-3-CAS(4/4)-MSPT2] which describes both static and dynamic electron correlation effects, providing a balanced description of both the initially prepared bright 11Bu (ππ*) state and non-adiabatically coupled dark 21Ag state of BD. Importantly, AIMS allows for on-the-fly calculations of experimental observables. We validate our approach by directly simulating the time resolved photoelectron-photoion coincidence spectroscopy results presented in Paper I [A. E. Boguslavskiy et al., J. Chem. Phys. 148, 164302 (2018)], demonstrating excellent agreement with experiment. Our simulations reveal that the initial excitation to the 11Bu state rapidly evolves via wavepacket dynamics that follow both bright- and dark-state pathways as well as mixtures of these. In order to test the sensitivity of the AIMS results to the relative ordering of states, we considered two hypothetical scenarios biased toward either the bright 1Bu or the dark 21Ag state. In contrast with AIMS/SA-3-CAS(4/4)-MSPT2 simulations, neither of these scenarios yields favorable agreement with experiment. Thus, we conclude that the excited state non-adiabatic dynamics in BD involves both of these ultrafast pathways.
WatAA: Atlas of Protein Hydration. Exploring synergies between data mining and ab initio calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Černý, Jiří; Schneider, Bohdan; Biedermannová, Lada

2017-07-14

Water molecules represent an integral part of proteins and a key determinant of protein structure, dynamics and function. WatAA is a newly developed, web-based atlas of amino-acid hydration in proteins. The atlas provides information about the ordered first hydration shell of the most populated amino-acid conformers in proteins. The data presented in the atlas are drawn from two sources: experimental data and ab initio quantum-mechanics calculations. The experimental part is based on a data-mining study of a large set of high-resolution protein crystal structures. The crystal-derived data include 3D maps of water distribution around amino-acids and probability of occurrence of each of the identified hydration sites. The quantum mechanics calculations validate and extend this primary description by optimizing the water position for each hydration site, by providing hydrogen atom positions and by quantifying the interaction energy that stabilizes the water molecule at the particular hydration site position. The calculations show that the majority of experimentally derived hydration sites are positioned near local energy minima for water, and the calculated interaction energies help to assess the preference of water for the individual hydration sites. We propose that the atlas can be used to validate water placement in electron density maps in crystallographic refinement, to locate water molecules mediating protein-ligand interactions in drug design, and to prepare and evaluate molecular dynamics simulations. WatAA: Atlas of Protein Hydration is freely available without login at .
Molecular modeling studies of interactions between sodium polyacrylate polymer and calcite surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ylikantola, A. [University of Jyväskylä, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014 (Finland); Linnanto, J., E-mail: juha.m.linnanto@gmail.com [University of Jyväskylä, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014 (Finland); University of Tartu, Institute of Physics, Riia 142, EE-51014 Tartu (Estonia); Knuutinen, J.; Oravilahti, A. [University of Jyväskylä, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014 (Finland); Toivakka, M. [Åbo Akademi University, Laboratory of Paper Coating and Converting and Center for Functional Materials, FI-20500 Turku/Åbo (Finland)

2013-07-01

The interactions between calcite pigment and sodium polyacrylate dispersing agent, widely used in papermaking as paper coating components, were investigated using classical force field and quantum chemical approaches. The objective was to understand interactions between the calcite surface and sodium polyacrylate polymer at 300 K using molecular dynamics simulations. A quantum mechanical ab initio Hartree–Fock method was also used to obtain detailed information about the sodium polyacrylate polymer structure. The effect of water molecules (moisture) on the interactions was also examined. Calculations showed that molecular weight, branching and the orientation of sodium polyacrylate polymers influence the interactions between the calcite surface and the polymer. The force field applied, and also water molecules, were found to have an impact on all systems studied. Ab initio Hartree–Fock calculations indicated that there are two types of coordination between sodium atoms and carboxylate groups of the sodium polyacrylate polymer, inter- and intra-carboxylate group coordination. In addition, ab initio Hartree–Fock calculations of the structure of the sodium polyacrylate polymer produced important information regarding interactions between the polymers and carboxylated styrene-butadiene latex particles.
Structure and dynamics of solvated hydrogenoxalate and oxalate anions: theoretical study

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kroutil, O.; Minofar, Babak; Kabeláč, M.

2016-01-01

Roč. 22, č. 9 (2016), s. 210 ISSN 1610-2940 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Ab initio molecular dynamics * oxalic acid anions * Potential energy surface Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 1.425, year: 2016
Resolving the Origins of Crystalline Anharmonicity Using Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy and ab Initio Simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruggiero, Michael T; Zeitler, J Axel

2016-11-17

Anharmonicity has been shown to be an important piece of the fundamental framework that dictates numerous observable phenomena. In particular, anharmonicity is the driving force of vibrational relaxation processes, mechanisms that are integral to the proper function of numerous chemical processes. However, elucidating its origins has proven difficult due to experimental and theoretical challenges, specifically related to separating the anharmonic contributions from other unrelated effects. While no one technique is particularly suited for providing a complete picture of anharmonicity, by combining multiple complementary methods such a characterization can be made. In this study the role of individual atomic interactions on the anharmonic properties of crystalline purine, the building block of many DNA and RNA nucleobases, is studied by experimental terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and first-principles density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations (AIMD). In particular, the detailed vibrational information provided by the DFT calculations is used to interpret the atomic origins of anharmonic-related effects as determined by the AIMD calculations, which are in good agreement with the experimental data. The results highlight that anharmonicity is especially pronounced in the intermolecular interactions, particularly along the amine hydrogen bond coordinate, and yields valuable insight into what is similarly observed complex biosystems and crystalline solids.
Ab initio studies of vacancies in (8,0) and (8,8) single-walled carbon and boron nitride nanotubes

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mashapa, MG

2012-09-01

Full Text Available -1 Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Vol. 12, 7030?7036, 2012 Ab Initio Studies of Vacancies in (8,0) and (8,8) Single-Walled Carbon and Boron Nitride NanotubesAb M. G. Mashapa 1, 2, *, N. Chetty 2, and S. Sinha Ray 1, 3 1 DST...
Spin-Orbit Effect on the Molecular Properties of TeXn (X = F, Cl, Br, and I; n = 1, 2, and 4): A Density Functional Theory and Ab Initio Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Jiwon; Kim, Joonghan

2016-09-29

Density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio calculations, including spin-orbit coupling (SOC), were performed to investigate the spin-orbit (SO) effect on the molecular properties of tellurium halides, TeXn (X = F, Cl, Br, and I; n = 1, 2, and 4). SOC elongates the Te-X bond and slightly reduces the vibrational frequencies. Consideration of SOC leads to better agreement with experimental values. Møller-Plesset second-order perturbation theory (MP2) seriously underestimates the Te-X bond lengths. In contrast, B3LYP significantly overestimates them. SO-PBE0 and multireference configuration interactions with the Davidson correction (MRCI+Q), which include SOC via a state-interaction approach, give the Te-I bond length of TeI2 that matches the experimental value. On the basis of the calculated thermochemical energy and optimized molecular structure, TeI4 is unlikely to be stable. The use of PBE0 including SOC is strongly recommended for predicting the molecular properties of Te-containing compounds.
Ab-initio modeling of an iron laser-induced plasma: Comparison between theoretical and experimental atomic emission spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colgan, J.; Judge, E.J.; Kilcrease, D.P.; Barefield, J.E.

2014-01-01

We report on efforts to model the Fe emission spectrum generated from laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) measurements on samples of pure iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ). Our modeling efforts consist of several components. We begin with ab-initio atomic structure calculations performed by solving the Hartree–Fock equations for the neutral and singly ionized stages of Fe. Our energy levels are then adjusted to their experimentally known values. The atomic transition probabilities and atomic collision quantities are also computed in an ab-initio manner. We perform LTE or non-LTE calculations that generate level populations and, subsequently, an emission spectrum for the iron plasma for a range of electron temperatures and electron densities. Such calculations are then compared to the experimental spectrum. We regard our work as a preliminary modeling effort that ultimately strives towards the modeling of emission spectra from even more complex samples where less atomic data are available. - Highlights: • LIBS plasma of iron oxide • Ab-initio theoretical Modeling • Discussion of LTE versus non-LTE criteria and assessment • Boltzmann plots for Fe—determination of when LTE is a valid assumption • Emission spectra for Fe—comparison of theoretical modeling and measurement: good agreement obtained
Improved parametric fits for the HeH2 ab initio energy surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muchnick, P.

1992-01-01

A brief history of the development of ab initio calculations for the HeH 2 quasi-molecule energy surface, and the parametric fits to these ab initio calculations, is presented. The concept of 'physical reasonableness' of the parametric fit is discussed. Several new improved parametric fits for the energy surface, meeting these requirements, are then proposed. One fit extends the Russek-Garcia parametric fit for the deep repulsion region to include r-dependent parameters, resulting in a more physically reasonable fit with smaller average error. This improved surface fit is applied to quasi-elastic collisions of He on H 2 in the impulse approximation. Previous classical calculations of the scaled inelastic vibrorotational excitation energy distributions are improved with this more accurate parametric fit of the energy surface and with the incorporation of quantum effects in vibrational excitation. It is shown that Sigmund's approach in developing his scaling law is incomplete in the contribution of the three-body interactions to vibrational excitation of the H 2 molecule is concerned. The Sigmund theory is extended to take into account for r-dependency of three-body interactions. A parametric fit for the entire energy surface from essentially 0 ≤R≤∞ and 1.2≤r≤1.6 a.u., where R is the intermolecular spacing and r is the hydrogen bonding length, is also presented. This fit is physically reasonable in all asymptotic limits. This first, full surface parametric fit is based primarily upon a composite of ab initio studies by Russek and Garcia and Meyer, Hariharan and Kutzelnigg. Parametric fits for the H 2 (1sσ g ) 2 , H 2 + (1sσ g ), H 2 + (2pσ u ) and (LiH 2 ) + energy surfaces are also presented. The new parametric fits for H 2 , H 2 + (1sσ g ) are shown to be improvements over the well-known Morse potentials for these surfaces
Computationally efficient and quantitatively accurate multiscale simulation of solid-solution strengthening by ab initio calculation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ma, D.; Friák, Martin; von Pezold, J.; Raabe, D.; Neugebauer, J.

2015-01-01

Roč. 85, FEB (2015), s. 53-66 ISSN 1359-6454 Institutional support: RVO:68081723 Keywords : Solid-solution strengthening * DFT * Peierls–Nabarro model * Ab initio * Al alloys Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 5.058, year: 2015

Efficacy of the semiempirical sparkle model as compared to ECP ab-initio calculations for the prediction of ligand field parameters of europium (III) complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freire, Ricardo O.; Rocha, Gerd B.; Albuquerque, Rodrigo Q.; Simas, Alfredo M.

2005-01-01

The second version of the sparkle model for the calculation of lanthanide complexes (SMLC II) as well as ab-initio calculations (HF/STO-3G and HF/3-21G) have been used to calculate the geometries of a series of europium (III) complexes with different coordination numbers (CN=7, 8 and 9), ligating atoms (O and N) and ligands (mono, bi and polydentate). The so-called ligand field parameters, Bqk's, have been calculated from both SMLC II and ab-initio optimized structures and compared to the ones calculated from crystallographic data. The results show that the SMLC II model represents a significant improvement over the previous version (SMLC) and has given good results when compared to ab-initio methods, which demand a much higher computational effort. Indeed, ab-initio methods take around a hundred times more computing time than SMLC. As such, our results indicate that our sparkle model can be a very useful and a fast tool when applied to the prediction of both ground state geometries and ligand field parameters of europium (III) complexes
Tailoring magnetoresistance at the atomic level: An ab initio study

KAUST Repository

Tao, Kun; Stepanyuk, V. S.; Rungger, I.; Sanvito, S.

2012-01-01

The possibility of manipulating the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) of antiferromagnetic nanostructures is predicted in the framework of ab initio calculations. By the example of a junction composed of an antiferromagnetic dimer and a spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy tip we show that the TMR can be tuned and even reversed in sign by lateral and vertical movements of the tip. Moreover, our finite-bias calculations demonstrate that the magnitude and the sign of the TMR can also be tuned by an external voltage. © 2012 American Physical Society.
Tailoring magnetoresistance at the atomic level: An ab initio study

KAUST Repository

Tao, Kun

2012-01-05

The possibility of manipulating the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) of antiferromagnetic nanostructures is predicted in the framework of ab initio calculations. By the example of a junction composed of an antiferromagnetic dimer and a spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy tip we show that the TMR can be tuned and even reversed in sign by lateral and vertical movements of the tip. Moreover, our finite-bias calculations demonstrate that the magnitude and the sign of the TMR can also be tuned by an external voltage. © 2012 American Physical Society.
Short-time maximum entropy method analysis of molecular dynamics simulation: Unimolecular decomposition of formic acid

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Osamu; Nomura, Tetsuo; Tabayashi, Kiyohiko; Yamasaki, Katsuyoshi

2008-07-01

We performed spectral analysis by using the maximum entropy method instead of the traditional Fourier transform technique to investigate the short-time behavior in molecular systems, such as the energy transfer between vibrational modes and chemical reactions. This procedure was applied to direct ab initio molecular dynamics calculations for the decomposition of formic acid. More reactive trajectories of dehydrolation than those of decarboxylation were obtained for Z-formic acid, which was consistent with the prediction of previous theoretical and experimental studies. Short-time maximum entropy method analyses were performed for typical reactive and non-reactive trajectories. Spectrograms of a reactive trajectory were obtained; these clearly showed the reactant, transient, and product regions, especially for the dehydrolation path.
H3+: Ab initio calculation of the vibration spectrum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carney, G.D.; Porter, R.N.

1976-01-01

The vibration spectrum of H 3 + is calculated from the representation of a previously reported [J. Chem Phys. 60, 4251 (1974)] ab initio potential-energy surface in a fifth degree Simons--Parr--Finlan (SPF) expansion. Morse- and harmonic-oscillator basis functions are used to describe the motions of the three oscillators and the Harris--Engerholm--Gwinn quadrature technique is used to obtain matrix elements of the Hamiltonian in the basis of vibrational configurations. Our variational method is thus analogous to configuration--interaction calculations for electronic states. The ground state is found to have a zero-point energy of 4345 cm -1 and a vibrationally averaged geometry of R 1 =R 2 =0.91396 A, theta=60.0012degree, where theta is the angle between the two equivalent bonds. The transition frequencies for the E and A 1 fundamentals are nu-bar/sub E/=2516 cm -1 and nu-bar/sub A/=3185 cm -1 and those for the corresponding first overtones of the bending mode are 2nu-bar/sub E/=5004 +- 4 cm -1 and 2nu-bar/sub A/=4799 cm -1 . The first overtone of the breathing mode is 6264 cm -1 . The first-excited A 1 vibration state is metastable with a dipole--radiation lifetime of 3 sec. Transition frequencies, Einstein coefficients, and lifetimes are reported for a total of 21 transitions. Analysis of results for Dunham number and normal-coordinate expansions in comparison with those for SPF expansion show the latter to be superior for ab initio vibrational calculations. A scheme for possible direct measurement of the fundamental A 1 and E vibrational bands is suggested
Prediction of toxicity of nitrobenzenes using ab initio and least squares support vector machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niazi, Ali; Jameh-Bozorghi, Saeed; Nori-Shargh, Davood

2008-01-01

A quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) study is suggested for the prediction of toxicity (IGC 50 ) of nitrobenzenes. Ab initio theory was used to calculate some quantum chemical descriptors including electrostatic potentials and local charges at each atom, HOMO and LUMO energies, etc. Modeling of the IGC 50 of nitrobenzenes as a function of molecular structures was established by means of the least squares support vector machines (LS-SVM). This model was applied for the prediction of the toxicity (IGC 50 ) of nitrobenzenes, which were not in the modeling procedure. The resulted model showed high prediction ability with root mean square error of prediction of 0.0049 for LS-SVM. Results have shown that the introduction of LS-SVM for quantum chemical descriptors drastically enhances the ability of prediction in QSAR studies superior to multiple linear regression and partial least squares
Efficient Ab-Initio Electron Transport Calculations for Heterostructures by the Nonequilibrium Green’s Function Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hirokazu Takaki

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We present an efficient computation technique for ab-initio electron transport calculations based on density functional theory and the nonequilibrium Green’s function formalism for application to heterostructures with two-dimensional (2D interfaces. The computational load for constructing the Green’s functions, which depends not only on the energy but also on the 2D Bloch wave vector along the interfaces and is thus catastrophically heavy, is circumvented by parallel computational techniques with the message passing interface, which divides the calculations of the Green’s functions with respect to energy and wave vectors. To demonstrate the computational efficiency of the present code, we perform ab-initio electron transport calculations of Al(100-Si(100-Al(100 heterostructures, one of the most typical metal-semiconductor-metal systems, and show their transmission spectra, density of states (DOSs, and dependence on the thickness of the Si layers.
Ab initio Defect Energetics in LaBO3 Perovskite Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lee, Yueh-Lin; Morgan, Dane; Kleis, Jesper

2009-01-01

Perovskite materials of the form ABO3 are a promising family of compounds for use in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathodes. Study of the physics of these compounds under SOFC conditions with ab initio methods is particularly challenging due to high temperatures, exchange of oxygen with O2 gas...
Ab initio studies on the reaction of O2 with Ban (n=2,5) clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, S.F.; Xue Xinlian; Chen, G.; Yuan, D.W.; Jia Yu; Gong, X.G.

2006-01-01

Ab initio theoretical calculations have been performed to study the reaction of O 2 with Ba n (n=2,5) clusters. Our results show that O 2 can easily chemisorb and dissociate on small Ba n clusters and there is no obvious energy barrier in the process of the dissociation. The local magnetic moment contributed by oxygen must vanish during the intermediate states before the O 2 dissociation. Correspondingly, local magnetic moment only decreases from 2μ B to about 1μ B if O 2 molecularly adsorbs onto Ba 5 cluster. The electronic structure analysis indicates that the charge transfer from Ba n cluster to O 2 as well as the orbital hybridization between the cluster and the oxygen molecule may play a key role in O 2 dissociation
Ab initio calculation of positron distribution, ACAR and lifetime in TTF-TCNQ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishibashi, Shoji; Kohyama, Masanori

2000-01-01

We have performed ab initio calculations of positron distribution, ACAR and lifetime in the quasi-one-dimensional organic conductor TTF-TCNQ. The electronic structure is obtained within the LDA, while the positron state is calculated either with the LDA or with the GGA. Except the positron lifetime, differences between the LDA and GGA results are rather small. The obtained results are compared with our previous experiments and calculations.
Conformational study of glyoxal bis(amidinohydrazone) by ab initio methods

Science.gov (United States)

Mannfors, B.; Koskinen, J. T.; Pietilä, L.-O.

1997-08-01

We report the first ab initio molecular orbital study on the ground state of the endiamine tautomer of glyoxal bis(amidinohydrazone) (or glyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), GBG) free base. The calculations were performed at the following levels of theory: Hartree-Fock, second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory and density functional theory (B-LYP and B3-LYP) as implemented in the Gaussian 94 software. The standard basis set 6-31G(d) was found to be sufficient. The default fine grid of Gaussian 94 was used in the density functional calculations. Molecular properties, such as optimized structures, total energies and the electrostatic potential derived (CHELPG) atomic charges, were studied as functions of C-C and N-N conformations. The lowest energy conformation was found to be all- trans, in agreement with the experimental solid-state structure. The second conformer with respect to rotation around the central C-C bond was found to be the cis conformer with an MP2//HF energy of 4.67 kcal mol -1. For rotation around the N-N bond the energy increased monotonically from the trans conformation to the cis conformation, the cis energy being very high, 22.01 kcal mol -1 (MP2//HF). The atomic charges were shown to be conformation dependent, and the bond charge increments and especially the conformational changes of the bond charge increments were found to be easily transferable between structurally related systems.
Speciation of magnesium in monohydrocalcite: XANES, ab initio and geochemical modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Fukushi, Keisuke; Suzuki, Yuma; Kawano, Jun; Ohno, Takeshi; Ogawa, Masahiro; Yaji, Toyonari; Takahashi, Yoshio

2017-09-01

Monohydrocalcite (MHC: CaCO3·H2O), a rare carbonate mineral formed under surface conditions, is usually observed in nature as containing a variable amount of Mg, with a 0.007-0.45 Mg/Ca mole ratio. The variable Mg composition in MHC is anticipated as a promising proxy to assess paleo-hydrochemistry especially in saline lakes. Although the roles of Mg on the formation and stability of MHC have been studied intensively, the Mg speciation in MHC has remained unclear and controversial. This study examined Mg speciation in MHC using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), ab initio molecular simulation, and geochemical modeling. Mg-XANES spectra of MHC with different Mg/Ca ratios prepared from mixing solutions of Na2CO3, CaCl2 and MgCl2 revealed that the Mg in MHC is a mixture of amorphous Mg carbonate (AMC) and other Mg containing phase. The contribution of AMC to total Mg is negatively correlated to the crystallinity of MHC. Results show that AMC might play a protective role in the crystallization and the transformation to stable calcium carbonates. Ab initio calculation of Mg2+ substitution into MHC showed that a limited amount of Mg2+ can be incorporated into the MHC structure. Six-fold coordination of Mg2+ is substituted for eight-fold coordination of Ca2+ in the MHC structure. The other type of Mg in MHC revealed from the XANES analyses most likely corresponds to the structural Mg in MHC. The contribution of the structural Mg is almost constant at 0.06 in Mg/Ca, representing the limit of solid solubility of Mg in MHC. The solubility products of the MHC with the limit of solid solubility of Mg and the AMC associated with MHC were estimated from the reacted solution compositions. Prediction of the Mg/Ca ratio as a function of the initial solution conditions using solubility reasonably reproduces the observed apparent Mg/Ca ratios in MHC from the present study and earlier studies. The apparent Mg/Ca ratio of MHC is useful to elucidate water chemistry
Coherent band excitations in CePd₃: A comparison of neutron scattering and ab initio theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goremychkin, Eugene A. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russia). Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics; Park, Hyowon [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Materials Science Division; Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States). Department of Physics; Osborn, Raymond [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Rosenkranz, Stephan [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Castellan, John-Paul [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany). Institute for Solid State Physics; Fanelli, Victor R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Instrument and Source Division; Christianson, Andrew D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Quantum Condensed Matter Division; Stone, Matthew B. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Quantum Condensed Matter Division; Bauer, Eric D. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); McClellan, Kenneth J. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Byler, Darrin D. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lawrence, Jon M. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

2018-01-12

In common with many strongly correlated electron systems, intermediate valence compounds are believed to display a crossover from a high-temperature regime of incoherently fluctuating local moments to a low-temperature regime of coherent hybridized bands. In this work, we show that inelastic neutron scattering measurements of the dynamic magnetic susceptibility of CePd₃ provides a benchmark for ab initio calculations based on dynamical mean field theory. The magnetic response is strongly momentum dependent thanks to the formation of coherent f-electron bands at low temperature, with an amplitude that is strongly enhanced by local particle-hole interactions. Finally, the agreement between experiment and theory shows that we have a robust first-principles understanding of the temperature dependence of f-electron coherence.
Absolute acidity of clay edge sites from ab-initio simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Tazi, Sami; Rotenberg, Benjamin; Salanne, Mathieu; Sprik, Michiel; Sulpizi, Marialore

2012-10-01

We provide a microscopic understanding of the solvation structure and reactivity of the edges of neutral clays. In particular we address the tendency to deprotonation of the different reactive groups on the (0 1 0) face of pyrophyllite. Such information cannot be inferred directly from titration experiments, which do not discriminate between different sites and whose interpretation resorts to macroscopic models. The determination of the corresponding pKa then usually relies on bond valence models, sometimes improved by incorporating some structural information from ab-initio simulations. Here we use density functional theory based molecular dynamics simulations, combined with thermodynamic integration, to compute the free energy of the reactions of water with the different surface groups, leading to a deprotonated site and an aqueous hydronium ion. Our approach consistently describes the clay and water sides of the interface and includes naturally electronic polarization effects. It also allows to investigate the structure and solvation of all sites separately. We find that the most acidic group is SiOH, due to its ability to establish strong hydrogen bonds with adsorbed water, as it also happens on the quartz and amorphous silica surfaces. The acidity constant of AlOH2 is only 1 pKa unit larger. Finally, the pKa of AlOH is outside the possible range in water and this site should not deprotonate in aqueous solution. We show that the solvation of surface sites and hence their acidity is strongly affected by the proximity of other sites, in particular for AlOH and AlOH2 which share the same Al. We discuss the implications of our findings on the applicability of bond valence models to predict the acidity of edge sites of clays.
Electrochemical and ab initio investigations to design a new phenothiazine based organic redox polymeric material for metal-ion battery cathodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Godet-Bar, T; Leprêtre, J-C; Le Bacq, O; Sanchez, J-Y; Deronzier, A; Pasturel, A

2015-10-14

Different N-substituted phenothiazines have been synthesized and their electrochemical behavior has been investigated in CH3CN in order to design the best polyphenothiazine based cathodic material candidate for lithium batteries. These compounds exhibit two successive reversible one-electron oxidation processes. Ab initio calculations demonstrate that the potential of the first process is a result of both the hybridization effects between the substituent and the phenothiazine unit as well as the change of conformation of the phenothiazine heterocycle during the oxidation process. More specifically, we show that an asymmetric molecular orbital spreading throughout an external cycle of the phenothiazine unit and the alkyl fragment is formed only if the alkyl fragment is long enough (from the methyl moiety onwards) and is at the origin of the bent conformation for N-substituted phenothiazines during oxidation. Electrochemical investigations supported by ab initio calculations allow the selection of a phenothiazinyl unit which is then polymerized by a Suzuki coupling strategy to avoid the common solubilization issue in carbonate-based liquid electrolytes of lithium cells. The first electrochemical measurements performed show that phenothiazine derivatives pave the way for a promising family of redox polymers intended to be used as organic positives for lithium batteries.
Ductility improvement of Mg alloys by solid solution: Ab initio modeling, synthesis and mechanical properties

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sandlöbes, S.; Pei, Z.; Friák, Martin; Zhu, L.-F.; Wang, F.; Zaefferer, S.; Raabe, D.; Neugebauer, J.

2014-01-01

Roč. 70, MAY (2014), s. 92-104 ISSN 1359-6454 Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) LM2010005 Institutional support: RVO:68081723 Keywords : Magnesium * Rare-earth elements * Ductility * Modeling * Ab initio Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 4.465, year: 2014
High pressure behaviour of uranium dicarbide (UC{sub 2}): Ab-initio study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahoo, B. D., E-mail: bdsahoo@barc.gov.in; Mukherjee, D.; Joshi, K. D.; Kaushik, T. C. [Applied Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India)

2016-08-28

The structural stability of uranium dicarbide has been examined under hydrostatic compression employing evolutionary structure search algorithm implemented in the universal structure predictor: evolutionary Xtallography (USPEX) code in conjunction with ab-initio electronic band structure calculation method. The ab-initio total energy calculations involved for this purpose have been carried out within both generalized gradient approximations (GGA) and GGA + U approximations. Our calculations under GGA approximation predict the high pressure structural sequence of tetragonal → monoclinic → orthorhombic for this material with transition pressures of ∼8 GPa and 42 GPa, respectively. The same transition sequence is predicted by calculations within GGA + U also with transition pressures placed at ∼24 GPa and ∼50 GPa, respectively. Further, on the basis of comparison of zero pressure equilibrium volume and equation of state with available experimental data, we find that GGA + U approximation with U = 2.5 eV describes this material better than the simple GGA approximation. The theoretically predicted high pressure structural phase transitions are in disagreement with the only high experimental study by Dancausse et al. [J. Alloys. Compd. 191, 309 (1993)] on this compound which reports a tetragonal to hexagonal phase transition at a pressure of ∼17.6 GPa. Interestingly, during lowest enthalpy structure search using USPEX, we do not see any hexagonal phase to be closer to the predicted monoclinic phase even within 0.2 eV/f. unit. More experiments with varying carbon contents in UC{sub 2} sample are required to resolve this discrepancy. The existence of these high pressure phases predicted by static lattice calculations has been further substantiated by analyzing the elastic and lattice dynamic stability of these structures in the pressure regimes of their structural stability. Additionally, various thermo-physical quantities such as
Formation dynamics of FeN thin films on Cu(100)

KAUST Repository

Heryadi, Dodi; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2012-01-01

To investigate the structural and magnetic properties of thin films of FeN we have performed ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of their formation on Cu(100) substrates. The iron nitride layers exhibit a p4gm(2 × 2) reconstruction and order
Efficacy of the SU(3) scheme for ab initio large-scale calculations beyond the lightest nuclei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dytrych, T. [Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR), Prague (Czech Republic); Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States); Maris, Pieter [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States); Launey, K. D. [Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States); Draayer, J. P. [Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States); Vary, James [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States); Langr, D. [Czech Technical Univ., Prague (Czech Republic); Aerospace Research and Test Establishment, Prague (Czech Republic); Saule, E. [Univ. of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC (United States); Caprio, M. A. [Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States); Catalyurek, U. [The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Sosonkina, M. [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States)

2016-06-09

We report on the computational characteristics of ab initio nuclear structure calculations in a symmetry-adapted no-core shell model (SA-NCSM) framework. We examine the computational complexity of the current implementation of the SA-NCSM approach, dubbed LSU3shell, by analyzing ab initio results for ⁶Li and ¹²C in large harmonic oscillator model spaces and SU(3)-selected subspaces. We demonstrate LSU3shell's strong-scaling properties achieved with highly-parallel methods for computing the many-body matrix elements. Results compare favorably with complete model space calculations and signi cant memory savings are achieved in physically important applications. In particular, a well-chosen symmetry-adapted basis a ords memory savings in calculations of states with a fixed total angular momentum in large model spaces while exactly preserving translational invariance.
Ab initio ground state phenylacetylene-argon intermolecular potential energy surface and rovibrational spectrum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cybulski, Hubert; Fernandez, Berta; Henriksen, Christian

2012-01-01

to the axis perpendicular to the phenylacetylene plane and containing the center of mass. The calculated interaction energy is -418.9 cm(-1). To check further the potential, we obtain the rovibrational spectrum of the complex and the results are compared to the available experimental data. (C) 2012 American......We evaluate the phenylacetylene-argon intermolecular potential energy surface by fitting a representative number of ab initio interaction energies to an analytic function. These energies are calculated at a grid of intermolecular geometries, using the CCSD(T) method and the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set...... extended with a series of 3s3p2d1flg midbond functions. The potential is characterized by two equivalent global minima where the Ar atom is located above and below the phenylacetylene plane at a distance of 3.5781 angstrom from the molecular center of mass and at an angle of 9.08 degrees with respect...

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.