Multiple time scale molecular dynamics for fluids with orientational degrees of freedom. II. Canonical and isokinetic ensembles

We have developed several multiple time stepping techniques to overcome the limitations on efficiency of molecular dynamics simulations of complex fluids. They include the modified canonical and isokinetic schemes, as well as the extended isokinetic Nosé-Hoover chain approach. The latter generalizes the method of Minary, Tuckerman, and Martyna for translational motion Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 150201 (2004)] to systems with both translational and orientational degrees of freedom. Although the microcanonical integrators are restricted to relatively small outer time steps of order of 16 fs, we show on the basis of molecular dynamics simulations of ambient water that in the canonical and isokinetic thermostats the size of these steps can be increased to 50 and 75 fs, respectively (at the same inner time step of 4 fs). Within the generalized isokinetic Nosé-Hoover chain algorithm we have derived, huge outer time steps of order of 500 fs can be used without losing numerical stability and affecting equilibrium properties.