English

Adaptive Boundaries in Multiscale Simulations

Computational Physics 2018-05-09 v2 Statistical Mechanics

Abstract

Combined-resolution simulations are an effective way to study molecular properties across a range of length- and time-scales. These simulations can benefit from adaptive boundaries that allow the high-resolution region to adapt (change size and/or shape) as the simulation progresses. The number of degrees of freedom required to accurately represent even a simple molecular process can vary by several orders of magnitude throughout the course of a simulation, and adaptive boundaries react to these changes to include an appropriate but not excessive amount of detail. Here, we derive the Hamiltonian and distribution function for such a molecular simulation. We also design an algorithm that can efficiently sample the boundary as a new coordinate of the system. We apply this framework to a mixed explicit/continuum representation of a peptide in solvent. We use this example to discuss the conditions necessary for a successful implementation of adaptive boundaries that is both efficient and accurate in reproducing molecular properties.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1802.05555,
  title  = {Adaptive Boundaries in Multiscale Simulations},
  author = {Jason A. Wagoner and Vijay S. Pande},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1802.05555},
  year   = {2018}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-23T00:23:30.203Z