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Christopher J Mundy

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher J Mundy.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Molecular dynamics simulation of liquid water: hybrid density functionals.

The structure, dynamical, and electronic properties of liquid water utilizing different hybrid density functionals were tested within the plane wave framework of first-principles molecular dynamics simulations. The computational approach, which employs modified functionals with short-ranged Hartree-Fock exchange, was first tested in calculations of the structural and bonding properties of the water dimer and cyclic water trimer. Liquid water simulations were performed at the state point of 350 K at the experimental density. Simulations included three different hybrid functionals, a meta-functional, four gradient-corrected functionals, and the local density and Hartree-Fock approximations. It is found that hybrid functionals are superior in reproducing the experimental structure and dynamical properties as measured by the radial distribution function and self-diffusion constant when compared to the pure density functionals. The local density and Hartree-Fock approximations show strongly over- and understructured liquids, respectively. Hydrogen bond analysis shows that the hybrid functionals give slightly smaller average numbers of hydrogen bonds than pure density functionals but similar hydrogen bond populations. The average molecular dipole moments in the liquid from the three hybrid functionals are lower than those of the corresponding pure density functionals.

Algorithms↗

Structure and dynamics of the aqueous liquid-vapor interface: a comprehensive particle-based simulation study.

This research addresses a comprehensive particle-based simulation study of the structural, dynamic, and electronic properties of the liquid-vapor interface of water utilizing both ab initio (based on density functional theory) and empirical (fixed charge and polarizable) models. Numerous properties such as interfacial width, hydrogen bond populations, dipole moments, and correlation times will be characterized with identical schemes to draw useful conclusions on the strengths and weakness of the proposed models for interfacial water. Our findings indicate that all models considered in this study yield similar results for the radial distribution functions, hydrogen bond populations, and orientational relaxation times. Significant differences in the models appear when examining both the dipole moments and surface relaxation near the aqueous liquid-vapor interface. Here, the ab initio interaction potential predicts a significant decrease in the molecular dipole moment and expansion in the oxygen-oxygen distance as one approaches the interface in accordance with recent experiments. All classical polarizable interaction potentials show a less dramatic drop in the molecular dipole moment, and all empirical interaction potentials studied yield an oxygen-oxygen contraction as the interface is approached.

Computer Simulation↗

Simulating fluid-phase equilibria of water from first principles.

Efficient Monte Carlo algorithms and a mixed-basis set electronic structure program were used to compute from first principles the vapor-liquid coexistence curve of water. A water representation based on the Becke-Lee-Yang-Parr exchange and correlation functionals yields a saturated liquid density of 900 kg/m3 at 323 K and normal boiling and critical temperatures of 350 and 550 K, respectively. An analysis of the structural and electronic properties of the saturated liquid phase shows an increase of the asymmetry of the local hydrogen-bonded structure despite the persistence of a 4-fold coordination and decreases of the molecular dipole moment and of the spread of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital with increasing temperature.

Journal Article↗

Isobaric-isothermal monte carlo simulations from first principles: application to liquid water at ambient conditions.

A series of first-principles Monte Carlo simulations in the isobaric-isothermal ensemble were carried out for liquid water at ambient conditions (T=298 K and p=1 atm). The Becke-Lee-Yang-Parr (BLYP) exchange and correlation energy functionals and norm-conserving Goedecker-Teter-Hutter (GTH) pseudopotentials were employed with the CP2 K simulation package to examine systems consisting of 64 water molecules. The fluctuations in the system volume encountered in simulations in the isobaric-isothermal ensemble require a reconsideration of the suitability of the typical charge-density cutoff and the regular grid-generation method previously used for the computation of the electrostatic energy in first-principles simulations in the microcanonical or canonical ensembles. In particular, it is noted that a much higher cutoff is needed and that the most computationally efficient method of creating grids can result in poor simulations. Analysis of the simulation trajectories using a very large charge-density cutoff at 1200 Ry and four different grid-generation methods point to a significantly underestimated liquid density of about 0.8 g cm-3 resulting in a somewhat understructured liquid (with a value of about 2.7 for the height of the first peak in the oxygen-oxygen radial distribution function) for BLYP-GTH water at ambient conditions. In addition, a simulation using a charge-density cutoff at 280 Ry yields a higher density of 0.9 g cm-3, showing the sensitivity of the simulation outcome to this parameter.

Journal Article↗

A density-functional approach to polarizable models: a Kim-Gordon response density interaction potential for molecular simulations.

A combined linear-response-frozen electron-density model has been implemented in a molecular-dynamics scheme derived from an extended Lagrangian formalism. This approach is based on a partition of the electronic charge distribution into a frozen region described by Kim-Gordon theory [J. Chem. Phys. 56, 3122 (1972); J. Chem. Phys. 60, 1842 (1974)] and a response contribution determined by the instantaneous ionic configuration of the system. The method is free from empirical pair potentials and the parametrization protocol involves only calculations on properly chosen subsystems. We apply this method to a series of alkali halides in different physical phases and are able to reproduce experimental structural and thermodynamic properties with an accuracy comparable to Kohn-Sham density-functional calculations.

Journal Article↗

Bonding in the superionic phase of water.

The predicted superionic phase of water is investigated via ab initio molecular dynamics at densities of 2.0--3.0 g/cc (34-115 GPa) along the 2000 K isotherm. We find that extremely rapid (superionic) diffusion of protons occurs in a fluid phase at pressures between 34 and 58 GPa. A transition to a stable body-centered cubic O lattice with superionic proton conductivity is observed between 70 and 75 GPa, a much higher pressure than suggested in prior work. We find that all molecular species at pressures greater than 75 GPa are too short lived to be classified as bound states. Up to 95 GPa, we find a solid superionic phase characterized by covalent O-H bonding. Above 95 GPa, a transient network phase is found characterized by symmetric O-H hydrogen bonding with nearly 50% covalent character. In addition, we describe a metastable superionic phase with quenched O disorder.

Biophysics↗

Structure of dense hydrogen fluoride gas from neutron diffraction and molecular dynamics simulations.

The gas phase of hydrogen fluoride has been investigated by neutron diffraction experiments at three different particle densities. All investigated states are within the liquid-gas coexistence region of hydrogen fluoride. From the obtained diffraction data we deduced information about the local structure of the gas phase, which consists of small agglomerates. This has been expected as liquid hydrogen fluoride forms the strongest hydrogen bonds known. Molecular dynamics simulations with a modified potential have been carried out for all experimentally investigated states. The results confirmed that the size of the formed agglomerates in the gas phase is growing with increasing density of the gas phase.

Journal Article↗

Dynamic ionization of water under extreme conditions.

Raman spectroscopy in a laser heated diamond anvil cell and first principles molecular dynamics simulations have been used to study water in the temperature range 300 to 1500 K and at pressures to 56 GPa. We find a substantial decrease in the intensity of the O-H stretch mode in the liquid phase with pressure, and a change in slope of the melting line at 47 GPa and 1000 K. Consistent with these observations, theoretical calculations show that water beyond 50 GPa is "dynamically ionized" in that it consists of very short-lived (<10 fs) H2O, H3O+, and OH- species, and also that the mobility of the oxygen ions decreases abruptly with pressure, while hydrogen ions remain very mobile. We suggest that this regime corresponds to a superionic state.

Journal Article↗

An ab initio molecular dynamics study of the aqueous liquid-vapor interface.

We present an ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of the aqueous liquid-vapor interface. Having successfully stabilized a region of bulk water in the center of a water slab, we were able to reproduce and further quantify the experimentally observed abundance of surface "acceptor-only"(19%) and "single-donor"(66%) moieties as well as substantial surface relaxation approaching the liquid-vapor interface. Examination of the orientational dynamics points to a faster relaxation in the interfacial region. Furthermore, the average value of the dipole decreases and the average value of the highest occupied molecular orbital for each water molecule increases approaching the liquid-vapor interface. Our results support the idea that the surface contains, on average, far more reactive states than the bulk.

Journal Article↗