Name

ensemble — A method to propagate a particle set.

Description

The ensemble element contains parameters defining the external properties of a particle system, such as an external temperature or pressure, and control parameters for a propagator.

Processing expectations

Create a propagator to move a particle set and set the initial conditions according to the external parameters.

Parents

mdsim

Children

The following elements occur in simulation: parameter

Attributes

name

Required, the name of the ensemble.

method

Optional, the numerical algorithm to intergate equations of motion.

condition

Optional, external constraints applied to the particle.

target

Optional, the particle set to be propagated.

role

Reserved.

Valid parameters

The common parameters to set the external physical quantities are:

nameconditiondatatypeensenblemeaning
temperatureKscalarall

Set the initial and external temperature.

timestepfsecscalarall

Set the time step for the numrical integrator.

clockfsecscalarall

Set the MD clock. An output file contains the MD clock at the end of a run.

frictionfsec-1scalarevn | tvn

Set the friction coefficient. For <ensemble name="evn"/>, the friction parameter is a damping parameter and its effect is equivalent to choosing <ensemble name="sdmin"/>.

pressurekBscalarall

Set the external pressure.

Implementation details

The list of names meaningful to ensemble for ohmms and related applications.

namemethodmeaning
staticnone | forceCalculate the total energy. Calculate force, if method="force".
evnvelocity-verlet | verletPerform constant energy, volume and number simulation using either velocity-verlet (default) or verlet.
tvnlangevin | nose-hoover Perform constant temperature, volume and number simulation using Langevin or Nose-Hoover heat bath.
cgminNAStructural minimization by the conjugate-gradient method.
sdminNAStructural minimization by the steepest-descent method.
phononNAFrozen-phonon calculations.

Examples

This example shows how to set the ensemble to perform a constant TemperatureVolumeNumber simulation at a temperature 500 K with a time step 2 fsec and a friction coefficient of 0.5 fsec-1.

  <ensemble name="tvn" method="langevin">
     <parameter name="temperature" condition="K"> 500 </parameter>
     <parameter name="friction" condition="fsec-1"> 0.5 </parameter>
     <parameter name="timestep" condition="fsec"> 2 </parameter>
  </ensemble>