Multiple time scale molecular dynamics for fluids with orientational degrees of freedom. I. Microcanonical ensemble

Abstract

We propose a new approach to eliminate the resonance instabilities inherent in multiple time step molecular dynamics simulations. The approach is developed within the microcanonical ensemble on the basis of an energy-constrained technique in the presence of orientational degrees of freedom. While the single and standard multiscale methods are restricted to small time steps of 5 and 8 fs, respectively, it is shown in simulations of water that the algorithms we have derived postpone the appearance of the instabilities to larger steps of about 16 fs. Such steps are close to the upper theoretical limit of 20 fs peculiar to the microcanonical ensemble and can be used without affecting static and dynamical properties.