Polarizable and flexible model for ethanol

A polarizable, flexible model for ethanol is obtained based on an extensive series of B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. The ethanol model includes electric-field dependence in both the atomic charges and the intramolecular degrees of freedom. Field-dependent intramolecular potentials have been attempted only once previously, for OH and HH stretches in water [P. Cicu et al., J. Chem. Phys. 112, 8267 (2000)]. The torsional potential involving the hydrogen-bonding hydrogen in ethanol is found to be particularly field sensitive. The methodology for developing field-dependent potentials can be readily generalized to other molecules and is discussed in detail. Molecular dynamics simulations of bulk ethanol are performed and the results are assessed based on comparisons with the self-diffusion coefficient [N. Karger et al., J. Chem. Phys. 93, 3437 (1990)], dielectric constant [J. T. Kindt and C. A. Schmuttenmaer, J. Phys. Chem. 100, 10373 (1996)], enthalpy of vaporization [R. C. Wilhoit and B. J. Zwolinski, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, Suppl. 2, 2 (1973)], and experimental interatomic distributions [C. J. Benmore and Y. L. Loh, J. Chem. Phys. 112, 5877 (2000)]. The simultaneous variation of the atomic charges and the intramolecular potentials requires modified equations of motion and a multiple time step algorithm has been implemented to solve these equations. The article concludes with a discussion of the bulk structure and properties with an emphasis on the hydrogen bonding network.     

Direct correlation function for complex square barrier-square well potentials in the first-order mean spherical approximation

The direct correlation function of the complex discrete potential model fluids is obtained as a linear combination of the first-order mean spherical approximation (FMSA) solution for the simple square well model that has been reported recently [Hlushak et al., J. Chem. Phys. 130, 234511 (2009)]. The theory is employed to evaluate the structure and thermodynamics of complex fluids based on the square well-barrier and square well-barrier-well discrete potential models. Obtained results are compared with theoretical predictions of the hybrid mean spherical approximation, already reported in the literature [Guillen-Escamilla et al., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 19, 086224 (2007)], and with computer simulation data of this study. The compressibility route to thermodynamics is then used to check whether the FMSA theory is able to predict multiple fluid-fluid transitions for the square barrier-well model fluids.     

Local response dispersion method. II. Generalized multicenter interactions

Recently introduced local response dispersion method [T. Sato and H. Nakai, J. Chem. Phys. 131, 224104 (2009)], which is a first-principles alternative to empirical dispersion corrections in density functional theory, is implemented with generalized multicenter interactions involving both atomic and atomic pair polarizabilities. The generalization improves the asymptote of intermolecular interactions, reducing the mean absolute percentage error from about 30% to 6% in the molecular C(6) coefficients of more than 1000 dimers, compared to experimental values. The method is also applied to calculations of potential energy curves of molecules in the S22 database [P. Jure?ka et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 8, 1985 (2006)]. The calculated potential energy curves are in a good agreement with reliable benchmarks recently published by Molnar et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 131, 065102 (2009)]. These improvements are achieved at the price of increasing complexity in the implementation, but without losing the computational efficiency of the previous two-center (atom-atom) formulation. A set of different truncations of two-center and three- or four-center interactions is shown to be optimal in the cost-performance balance.     

Three-dimensional potential energy surface of the Ar-OH(2Pi i) complex

Pure rotational transitions in the ground state for Ar-OH and Ar-OD [Y. Ohshima et al., J. Chem. Phys. 95, 7001 (1991) and Y. Endo et al., Faraday Discuss. 97, 341 (1994)], those in the excited states of the OH vibration, nu(s)=1 and 2, observed by Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy in the present study, rotation-vibration transitions observed by infrared-ultraviolet double-resonance spectroscopy [K. M. Beck et al., Chem. Phys. Lett. 162, 203 (1989) and R. T. Bonn et al., J. Chem. Phys. 112, 4942 (2000)], and the P-level structure observed by stimulated emission pumping spectroscopy [M. T. Berry et al., Chem. Phys. Lett. 178, 301 (1991)] have been simultaneously analyzed to determine the potential energy surface of Ar-OH in the ground state. A Schrodinger equation, considering all the freedom of motions for an atom-diatom system in the Jacobi coordinate, R, theta, and r, was numerically solved to obtain energies of the rovibrational energy levels using the discrete variable representation method. A three-dimensional potential energy surface is determined by a least-squares fitting. In the analysis the potential parameters, obtained by ab initio calculations at the RCCSD(T) level of theory with a set of basis functions of aug-cc-pVTZ and midbond functions, are used as initial values. The determined intermolecular potential energy surface and its dependence on the OH monomer bond length are compared with those of an isovalent radical complex, Ar-SH.     

Lock-exchange experiments with an autocatalytic reaction front

A viscous lock-exchange gravity current corresponds to the reciprocal exchange of two fluids of different densities in a horizontal channel. The resulting front between the two fluids spreads as the square root of time, with a diffusion coefficient reflecting the buoyancy, viscosity, and geometrical configuration of the current. On the other hand, an autocatalytic reaction front between a reactant and a product may propagate as a solitary wave, namely, at a constant velocity and with a stationary concentration profile, resulting from the balance between molecular diffusion and chemical reaction. In most systems, the fluid left behind the front has a different density leading to a lock-exchange configuration. We revisit, with a chemical reaction, the classical situation of lock-exchange. We present an experimental analysis of buoyancy effects on the shape and the velocity of the iodate arsenous acid autocatalytic reaction fronts, propagating in horizontal rectangular channels and for a wide range of aspect ratios (1/3 to 20) and cylindrical tubes. We do observe stationary-shaped fronts, spanning the height of the cell and propagating along the cell axis. Our data support the contention that the front velocity and its extension are linked to each other and that their variations scale with a single variable involving the diffusion coefficient of the lock-exchange in the absence of chemical reaction. This analysis is supported by results obtained with lattice Bathnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) simulations Jarrige et al. [Phys. Rev. E 81, 06631 (2010)], in other geometries (like in 2D simulations by Rongy et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 127, 114710 (2007)] and experiments in cylindrical tubes by Pojman et al. [J. Phys. Chem. 95, 1299 (1991)]), and for another chemical reaction Schuszter et al. [Phys. Rev. E 79, 016216 (2009)].     

Ab initio quantum Monte Carlo study of the binding of a positron to alkali-metal hydrides

Quantum Monte Carlo methods are used to investigate the binding of a positron to the alkali-metal hydrides, XH (X = Na and K). We obtain positron affinities for the NaH and KH molecules of 1.422(10) eV and 2.051(39) eV, respectively. These are considerably larger than the previous results of 1.035 eV and 1.273 eV obtained from multireference single- and double-excitation configuration interaction calculations. Together with our previous results for [LiH;e(+)] [Y. Kita et al., J. Chem. Phys. 131, 134310 (2009)], our study confirms the strong correlation between the positron affinity and dipole moment of alkali-metal hydrides.     

Time-dependent wave packet study on trans-cis isomerization of HONO driven by an external field

The present paper is devoted to a full quantum mechanical study of the cis-->trans isomerization of HONO. In contrast to our previous study [Richter et al., J. Chem. Phys. 120, 6072 (2004)], the dynamics is now performed in the presence of an external time-dependent field in order to be closer to experimental conditions. A six-dimensional dipole surface is computed. Using a previously developed potential energy surface [Richter et al., J. Chem. Phys. 120, 1306 (2004)], all eigenstates up to 4000 cm(-1) are calculated. We simulate the dynamics during and after excitation by an electromagnetic pulse whose parameters are chosen to efficiently trigger the isomerization. Our investigations show that there is a selective isomerization pathway.     

Local ordering of polymer-tethered nanospheres and nanorods and the stabilization of the double gyroid phase

We present results of Brownian dynamics simulations of tethered nanospheres and tethered nanorods. Immiscibility between tether and nanoparticle facilitates microphase separation into the bicontinuous, double gyroid structure (first reported by Iacovella et al. [Phys. Rev. E 75, 040801(R) (2007)] and Horsch et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 125, 184903 (2006)], respectively). We demonstrate the ability of these nanoparticles to adopt distinct, minimal energy local packings, in which nanospheres form icosahedral-like clusters and nanorods form splayed hexagonal bundles. These local structures reduce packing frustration within the nodes of the double gyroid. We argue that the ability to locally order into stable structures is key to the formation of the double gyroid phase in these systems.     

The role of the excited electronic states in the C+ + H2O reaction

The electronic excited states of the [COH2]+ system have been studied in order to establish their role in the dynamics of the C+ + H2O-->[COH]+ +H reaction, which is a prototypical ion-molecule reaction. The most relevant minima and saddle points of the lowest excited state have been determined and energy profiles for the lowest excited doublet and quartet electronic states have been computed along the fragmentation and isomerization coordinates. Also, nonadiabatic coupling strengths between the ground and the first excited state have been computed where they can be large. Our analysis suggests that the first excited state could play an important role in the generation of the formyl isomer, which has been detected in crossed beam experiments [D. M. Sonnenfroh et al., J. Chem. Phys. 83, 3985 (1985)], but could not be explained in quasiclassical trajectory computations [Y. Ishikawa et al., Chem. Phys. Lett. 370, 490 (2003); J. R. Flores, J. Chem. Phys. 125, 164309 (2006)].     

Effect of self-interaction error in the evaluation of the bond length alternation in trans-polyacetylene using density-functional theory

The calculation of the bond-length alternation (BLA) in trans-polyacetylene has been chosen as benchmark to emphasize the effect of the self-interaction error within density-functional theory (DFT). In particular, the BLA of increasingly long acetylene oligomers has been computed using the M?ller-Plesset wave-function method truncated at the second order and several DFT models. While local-density approximation (LDA) or generalized gradient corrected (GGA) functionals strongly underestimate the BLA, approaches including self-interaction corrections (SIC) provide significant improvements. Indeed, the simple averaged-density SIC scheme (ADSIC), recently proposed by Legrand et al. [J. Phys. B 35, 1115 (2002)], provides better results for the structure of large oligomers than the more complex approach of Krieger et al. [Phys. Rev. A 45, 101 (1992)]. The ADSIC method is particularly promising since both the exchange-correlation energy and potential are improved with respect to standard LDA/GGA using a physically appealing correction, through a different route than the more popular approach through the Hartree-Fock exchange inclusion within the hybrid functionals.     

Accuracy of recent potential energy surfaces for the He-N2 interaction. I. Virial and bulk transport coefficients

A new exchange-Coulomb semiempirical model potential energy surface for the He-N2 interaction has been developed. Together with two recent high-level ab initio potential energy surfaces, it has been tested for the reliability of its predictions of second-virial coefficients and bulk transport phenomena in binary mixtures of He and N2. The agreement with the relevant available measurements is generally within experimental uncertainty for the exchange-Coulomb surface and the ab initio surface of Patel et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 119, 909 (2003)], but with slightly poorer agreement for the earlier ab initio surface of Hu and Thakkar [J. Chem. Phys. 104, 2541 (1996)].     

Lattice-Boltzmann simulations of the dynamics of polymer solutions in periodic and confined geometries

A numerical method to simulate the dynamics of polymer solutions in confined geometries has been implemented and tested. The method combines a fluctuating lattice-Boltzmann model of the solvent [Ladd, Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 1339 (1993)] with a point-particle model of the polymer chains. A friction term couples the monomers to the fluid [Ahlrichs and Dunweg, J. Chem. Phys. 111, 8225 (1999)], providing both the hydrodynamic interactions between the monomers and the correlated random forces. The coupled equations for particles and fluid are solved on an inertial time scale, which proves to be surprisingly simple and efficient, avoiding the costly linear algebra associated with Brownian dynamics. Complex confined geometries can be represented by a straightforward mapping of the boundary surfaces onto a regular three-dimensional grid. The hydrodynamic interactions between monomers are shown to compare well with solutions of the Stokes equations down to distances of the order of the grid spacing. Numerical results are presented for the radius of gyration, end-to-end distance, and diffusion coefficient of an isolated polymer chain, ranging from 16 to 1024 monomers in length. The simulations are in excellent agreement with renormalization group calculations for an excluded volume chain. We show that hydrodynamic interactions in large polymers can be systematically coarse-grained to substantially reduce the computational cost of the simulation. Finally, we examine the effects of confinement and flow on the polymer distribution and diffusion constant in a narrow channel. Our results support the qualitative conclusions of recent Brownian dynamics simulations of confined polymers [Jendrejack et al., J. Chem. Phys. 119, 1165 (2003) and Jendrejack et al., J. Chem. Phys. 120, 2513 (2004)].     

Coupled cluster approaches with an approximate account of triexcitations and the optimized inner projection technique

Summary A general orthogonally spin-adapted formalism for coupled cluster (CC) approaches, with an approximate account of triexcited configurations, and for optimized inner projection (OIP) technique is described. Modifying the linear part of the CC equations for pair clusters (CCD) we obtain the orthogonally spin-adapted, non-iterative version of the CCDT-1 method of Bartlett et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 80, 4371 (1984), 81, 5906 (1984), 82, 5761 (1985)]. Similar modification of an approximate coupled pair theory corrected for connected quadruply excited clusters (ACPQ) yields a new approach called ACPTQ. Both the CCDT-1 and ACPTQ methods can be formulated in terms of effective interaction matrix elements between the orthogonally spin-adapted biexcited singlet configurations. The same matrix elements also appear in the orthogonally spin-adapted form of the CCD + T(CCD) perturbative estimate of triply excited contributions due to Raghavachari [J. Chem. Phys. 82, 4607 (1985)] and Urban et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 83, 4041 (1985)], and in the OIP method when applied to the Pariser-Parr-Pople (PPP) model Hamiltonians. We use the diagrammatic approach based on the graphical methods of spin algebras to derive the explicit form of these interaction matrix elements. Finally, the relationship between different diagrammatic spin-adaptation procedures and their relative advantages are discussed in detail.Also affiliated with the Department of Chemistry, and Guelph-Waterloo Center for Graduate Work in Chemistry, Waterloo Campus, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Killam Research Fellow 1987–89     

Space-time contours to treat intense field-dressed molecular states. I. Theory

A molecular system exposed to an intense external field is considered. The strength of the field is measured by the number L of electronic states that become populated during this process. In the present article the authors discuss a rigorous way, based on the recently introduced space-time contours [R. Baer, et al., J. Chem. Phys. 119, 6998 (2003)], to form N coupled Schrodinger equations where N相似文献   

On the efficiency of VBSCF algorithms,a comment on “An efficient algorithm for energy gradients and orbital optimization in valence bond theory”

We comment on the paper [Song et al., J. Comput. Chem. 2009, 30, 399]. and discuss the efficiency of the orbital optimization and gradient evaluation in the Valence Bond Self Consistent Field (VBSCF) method. We note that Song et al. neglect to properly reference Broer et al., who published an algorithm [Broer and Nieuwpoort, Theor. Chim. Acta 1988, 73, 405] to use a Fock matrix to compute a matrix element between two different determinants, which can be used for an orbital optimization. Further, Song et al. publish a misleading comparison with our VBSCF algorithm [Dijkstra and van Lenthe, J. Chem. Phys. 2000, 113, 2100; van Lenthe et al., Mol. Phys. 1991, 73, 1159] to enable them to favorably compare their algorithm with ours. We give detail timings in terms of different orbital types in the calculation and actual timings for the example cases. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Total energy evaluation in the Strutinsky shell correction method

We analyze the total energy evaluation in the Strutinsky shell correction method (SCM) of Ullmo et al. [Phys. Rev. B 63, 125339 (2001)], where a series expansion of the total energy is developed based on perturbation theory. In agreement with Yannouleas and Landman [Phys. Rev. B 48, 8376 (1993)], we also identify the first-order SCM result to be the Harris functional [Phys. Rev. B 31, 1770 (1985)]. Further, we find that the second-order correction of the SCM turns out to be the second-order error of the Harris functional, which involves the a priori unknown exact Kohn-Sham (KS) density, rho(KS)(r). Interestingly, the approximation of rho(KS)(r) by rho(out)(r), the output density of the SCM calculation, in the evaluation of the second-order correction leads to the Hohenberg-Kohn-Sham functional. By invoking an auxiliary system in the framework of orbital-free density functional theory, Ullmo et al. designed a scheme to approximate rho(KS)(r), but with several drawbacks. An alternative is designed to utilize the optimal density from a high-quality density mixing method to approximate rho(KS)(r). Our new scheme allows more accurate and complex kinetic energy density functionals and nonlocal pseudopotentials to be employed in the SCM. The efficiency of our new scheme is demonstrated in atomistic calculations on the cubic diamond Si and face-centered-cubic Ag systems.     

Comparison of different methods for calculating the paramagnetic relaxation enhancement of nuclear spins as a function of the magnetic field

The enhancement of the spin-lattice relaxation rate for nuclear spins in a ligand bound to a paramagnetic metal ion [known as the paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE)] arises primarily through the dipole-dipole (DD) interaction between the nuclear spins and the electron spins. In solution, the DD interaction is modulated mostly by reorientation of the nuclear spin-electron spin axis and by electron spin relaxation. Calculations of the PRE are in general complicated, mainly because the electron spin interacts so strongly with the other degrees of freedom that its relaxation cannot be described by second-order perturbation theory or the Redfield theory. Three approaches to resolve this problem exist in the literature: The so-called slow-motion theory, originating from Swedish groups [Benetis et al., Mol. Phys. 48, 329 (1983); Kowalewski et al., Adv. Inorg. Chem. 57, (2005); Larsson et al., J. Chem. Phys. 101, 1116 (1994); T. Nilsson et al., J. Magn. Reson. 154, 269 (2002)] and two different methods based on simulations of the dynamics of electron spin in time domain, developed in Grenoble [Fries and Belorizky, J. Chem. Phys. 126, 204503 (2007); Rast et al., ibid. 115, 7554 (2001)] and Ann Arbor [Abernathy and Sharp, J. Chem. Phys. 106, 9032 (1997); Schaefle and Sharp, ibid. 121, 5387 (2004); Schaefle and Sharp, J. Magn. Reson. 176, 160 (2005)], respectively. In this paper, we report a numerical comparison of the three methods for a large variety of parameter sets, meant to correspond to large and small complexes of gadolinium(III) and of nickel(II). It is found that the agreement between the Swedish and the Grenoble approaches is very good for practically all parameter sets, while the predictions of the Ann Arbor model are similar in a number of the calculations but deviate significantly in others, reflecting in part differences in the treatment of electron spin relaxation. The origins of the discrepancies are discussed briefly.     

Thermodynamic analysis of the low frequency relaxation time in the smectic A and C phases of a liquid crystal

Pressure-temperature-volume (pVT) measurements were carried out on 2-(4-hexyloxyphenyl)-5-octyl-pyrimidine, a substance exhibiting nematic and smectic A and C polymorphism. Analysis of the longitudinal relaxation times obtained recently for elevated pressures [Czub et al., Z. Naturforsch. A: Phys. Sci. 58, 333 (2003)] was performed for isobaric, isothermal, and isochoric conditions within the two smectic phases. Several relationships linking the dynamical and thermodynamical quantities, derived recently for isotropic glass formers [Roland et al. Rep. Prog. Phys. 68, 1405 (2005)], were found to hold for the liquid crystal, revealing a striking similarity of behaviors for these two types of materials. The parameter gamma characterizing the steepness of the interaction potential was derived in different ways. It is interesting that the liquid crystal gives relaxation time versus TV(-gamma) plots that are linear, unlike results for glass formers, implying that the dynamics of the former is thermally activated.     

Molecular nitrogen-N2 properties: the intermolecular potential and the equation of state

Quantum mechanical (QM) high precision calculations were used to determine N(2)-N(2) intermolecular interaction potential. Using QM numerical data the anisotropic potential energy surface was obtained for all orientations of the pair of the nitrogen molecules in the rotation invariant form. The new N(2)-N(2) potential is in reasonably good agreement with the scaled potential obtained by van der Avoird et al. using the results of Hartree-Fock calculations [J. Chem. Phys. 84, 1629 (1986)]. The molecular dynamics (MD) of the N(2) molecules has been used to determine nitrogen equation of state. The classical motion of N(2) molecules was integrated in rigid rotor approximation, i.e., it accounted only translational and rotational degrees of freedom. Fincham [Mol. Simul. 11, 79 (1993)] algorithm was shown to be superior in terms of precision and energy stability to other algorithms, including Singer [Mol. Phys. 33, 1757 (1977)], fifth order predictor-corrector, or Runge-Kutta, and was therefore used in the MD modeling of the nitrogen pressure [S. Krukowski and P. Strak, J. Chem. Phys. 124, 134501 (2006)]. Nitrogen equation of state at pressures up to 30 GPa (300 kbars) and temperatures from the room temperature to 2000 K was obtained using MD simulation results. Results of MD simulations are in very good agreement (the error below 1%) with the experimental data on nitrogen equation of state at pressures below 1 GPa (10 kbars) for temperatures below 1800 K [R. T. Jacobsen et al., J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 15, 735 (1986)]. For higher temperatures, the deviation is slightly larger, about 2.5% which still is a very good agreement. The slightly larger difference may be attributed to the vibrational motion not accounted explicitly by rigid rotor approximation, which may be especially important at high temperatures. These results allow to obtain reliable equation of state of nitrogen for pressures up to 30 GPa (300 kbars), i.e., close to molecular nitrogen stability limit, determined by Nellis et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 1661 (1984)].     

Affinity and its derivatives in the glass transition process

The thermodynamic treatment of the glass transition remains an issue of intense debate. When associated with the formalism of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, the lattice-hole theory of liquids can provide new insight in this direction, as has been shown by Schmelzer and Gutzow [J. Chem. Phys. 125, 184511 (2006)], by Mo?ller et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 125, 094505 (2006)], and more recently by Tropin et al. [J. Non-Cryst. Solids 357, 1291 (2011); ibid. 357, 1303 (2011)]. Here, we employ a similar approach. We include pressure as an additional variable, in order to account for the freezing-in of structural degrees of freedom upon pressure increase. Second, we demonstrate that important terms concerning first order derivatives of the affinity-driving-force with respect to temperature and pressure have been previously neglected. We show that these are of crucial importance in the approach. Macroscopic non-equilibrium thermodynamics is used to enlighten these contributions in the derivation of C(p),κ(T), and α(p). The coefficients are calculated as a function of pressure and temperature following different theoretical protocols, revealing classical aspects of vitrification and structural recovery processes. Finally, we demonstrate that a simple minimalist model such as the lattice-hole theory of liquids, when being associated with rigorous use of macroscopic non-equilibrium thermodynamics, is able to account for the primary features of the glass transition phenomenology. Notwithstanding its simplicity and its limits, this approach can be used as a very pedagogical tool to provide a physical understanding on the underlying thermodynamics which governs the glass transition process.