On consistent definitions of momentum and energy fluxes for molecular dynamics models with multi-body interatomic potentials

Abstract

Results from molecular dynamics simulations often need to be further processed to understand the physics on a larger scale. This paper considers the definitions of momentum and energy fluxes obtained from a control-volume approach. To assess the validity of these defined quantities, two consistency criteria are proposed. As examples, the embedded atom potential and the Tersoff potential are considered. The consistency is verified using analytical and numerical methods.