Molecular dynamics#

Note

These examples can be run without asap3 installed. In that case, ASE’s Python implementation of the EMT calculator can be used instead, but it is much slower.

Goal#

In this tutorial, we will learn how to perform basic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using ASE.

The key objectives are:

  • Understand how to set up a crystal structure (Cu atoms on an FCC lattice).

  • Initialize velocities from Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution corresponding to a chosen temperature.

  • Integrate Newton’s equations of motion using Velocity-Verlet algorithm and we monitor the temperature using Langevin thermostat.

  • Monitor and analyze thermodynamic quantities (potential energy, kinetic energy, total energy, temperature).

  • Save trajectories and visualize atomic motion with ASE’s GUI.

  • Explore MD in different scenarios: - Constant energy MD (NVE ensemble) - Constant temperature MD (NVT ensemble) - Isolated nanoparticle simulations

By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to set up your own MD simulations, monitor energy conservation, and visualize system evolution.

Part 1: Basic Molecular Dynamics Simulation#

We start by creating a copper crystal, assigning random velocities corresponding to Maxwell Boltzmann Distribution at 300 K, and running dynamics in the NVE ensemble (constant energy).

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

# choose one of the following implementations of EMT:
# included in ase
from ase.calculators.emt import EMT
# faster performance
#from asap3 import EMT

from ase import units
from ase.cluster.cubic import FaceCenteredCubic as ClusterFCC
from ase.io.trajectory import Trajectory
from ase.lattice.cubic import FaceCenteredCubic as LatticeFCC
from ase.md.langevin import Langevin  # for later NPT simulations
from ase.md.velocitydistribution import (
    MaxwellBoltzmannDistribution,
    Stationary,
    ZeroRotation,
)
from ase.md.verlet import VelocityVerlet
from ase.optimize import QuasiNewton
from ase.visualize.plot import plot_atoms

# Set up initial positions of Cu atoms on Fcc crystal lattice
size = 10
atoms = LatticeFCC(
    directions=[[1, 0, 0], [0, 1, 0], [0, 0, 1]],
    symbol='Cu',
    size=(size, size, size),
    pbc=True,
)

Before setting up the MD simulation, we take a look at the initial structure:

fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(5, 5))
plot_atoms(atoms, ax, rotation=('45x,45y,0z'), show_unit_cell=2, radii=0.75)
ax.set_axis_off()
plt.tight_layout()
plt.show()
md

Now let’s run the MD simulation and monitor the kinetic and potential energy of the whole system:

# Describe the interatomic interactions with the Effective Medium Theory (EMT)
atoms.calc = EMT()

# Set the initial velocities corresponding to T=300K from Maxwell Boltzmann
# Distribution
MaxwellBoltzmannDistribution(atoms, temperature_K=300)

# We use Velocity Verlet algorithm to integrate the Newton's equations.
timestep_fs = 5
dyn = VelocityVerlet(atoms, timestep_fs * units.fs)  # 5 fs time step.


def printenergy(a):
    """
    Function to print the thermodynamical properties i.e potential energy,
    kinetic energy and total energy
    """
    epot = a.get_potential_energy()
    ekin = a.get_kinetic_energy()
    temp = a.get_temperature()
    print(
        f'Energy per atom: Epot ={epot:6.3f}eV  Ekin = {ekin:.3f}eV '
        f'(T={temp:.3f}K) Etot = {epot + ekin:.3f}eV'
    )


# Now run the dynamics
print('running a NVE simulation of fcc Cu')
printenergy(atoms)
# init lists to for energy vs time data
time_ps, epot, ekin = [], [], []
mdind = 0
steps_per_block = 10
for i in range(20):
    dyn.run(steps_per_block)
    mdind += steps_per_block
    printenergy(atoms)
    # save the energies of the current MD step
    time_ps.append(mdind * timestep_fs / 1000.0)
    epot.append(atoms.get_potential_energy())
    ekin.append(atoms.get_kinetic_energy())

etot = np.array(epot) + np.array(ekin)

# Plot energies vs time
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(6, 4))
ax.plot(time_ps, epot, label='Potential energy')
ax.plot(time_ps, ekin, label='Kinetic energy')
ax.plot(time_ps, etot, label='Total energy')
ax.set_xlabel('Time (ps)')
ax.set_ylabel('Energy (eV)')
ax.legend(loc='best')
ax.grid(True, linewidth=0.5, alpha=0.5)
plt.tight_layout()
plt.show()
md
running a NVE simulation of fcc Cu
Energy per atom: Epot =-22.726eV  Ekin = 154.888eV (T=299.568K) Etot = 132.162eV
Energy per atom: Epot =97.454eV  Ekin = 35.500eV (T=68.659K) Etot = 132.954eV
Energy per atom: Epot =57.522eV  Ekin = 75.283eV (T=145.604K) Etot = 132.805eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.947eV  Ekin = 81.720eV (T=158.054K) Etot = 132.667eV
Energy per atom: Epot =48.560eV  Ekin = 84.044eV (T=162.548K) Etot = 132.604eV
Energy per atom: Epot =60.008eV  Ekin = 72.761eV (T=140.725K) Etot = 132.768eV
Energy per atom: Epot =57.868eV  Ekin = 74.895eV (T=144.853K) Etot = 132.763eV
Energy per atom: Epot =53.051eV  Ekin = 79.620eV (T=153.993K) Etot = 132.671eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.854eV  Ekin = 81.810eV (T=158.227K) Etot = 132.664eV
Energy per atom: Epot =59.821eV  Ekin = 72.934eV (T=141.061K) Etot = 132.755eV
Energy per atom: Epot =54.514eV  Ekin = 78.202eV (T=151.249K) Etot = 132.716eV
Energy per atom: Epot =53.980eV  Ekin = 78.715eV (T=152.242K) Etot = 132.695eV
Energy per atom: Epot =55.115eV  Ekin = 77.587eV (T=150.059K) Etot = 132.701eV
Energy per atom: Epot =56.420eV  Ekin = 76.294eV (T=147.559K) Etot = 132.714eV
Energy per atom: Epot =53.554eV  Ekin = 79.147eV (T=153.077K) Etot = 132.701eV
Energy per atom: Epot =55.932eV  Ekin = 76.791eV (T=148.520K) Etot = 132.723eV
Energy per atom: Epot =53.038eV  Ekin = 79.657eV (T=154.064K) Etot = 132.695eV
Energy per atom: Epot =58.636eV  Ekin = 74.081eV (T=143.280K) Etot = 132.718eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.711eV  Ekin = 79.990eV (T=154.707K) Etot = 132.701eV
Energy per atom: Epot =54.044eV  Ekin = 78.659eV (T=152.133K) Etot = 132.702eV
Energy per atom: Epot =59.379eV  Ekin = 73.352eV (T=141.869K) Etot = 132.731eV

Note how the total energy is conserved, but the kinetic energy quickly drops to half the expected value. Why?

What you learned here:

  • How to set up a basic MD run.

  • How to monitor the energy over time.

  • That total energy is approximately conserved in NVE simulations, what is the error in total energy?

Exercise: Tune the time step from 5fs to 10fs and 50fs, what changes do you observe in total energy?

Part 2: Constant temperature MD#

In many cases, you want to control temperature (NVT ensemble). This can be done using a thermostat, like – in this tutorial – Langevin thermostat. Compared to the previous example, we replace the line dyn = VelocityVerlet(...) with

dyn = Langevin(atoms, timestep=5 * units.fs, temperature_K=T,
friction=0.02)

where T is the desired temperature in Kelvin. For that we also imported the Langevin in the beginning.

The Langevin dynamics will then slowly adjust the total energy of the system so the temperature approaches the desired one.

As a slightly less boring example, let us use this to melt a chunk of copper by starting the simulation without any momentum of the atoms (no kinetic energy), and with a desired temperature above the melting point. We will also save information about the atoms in a trajectory file called moldyn3.traj.

Note

It is recommended to use the asap3 implementation of the EMT calculator here, because its performance benefits over the ase implementation.

size = 10
T = 1500  # Kelvin

# Set up a crystal
atoms = LatticeFCC(
    directions=[[1, 0, 0], [0, 1, 0], [0, 0, 1]],
    symbol='Cu',
    size=(size, size, size),
    pbc=False,
)

# Describe the interatomic interactions with the Effective Medium Theory
atoms.calc = EMT()

# We want to run MD with constant energy using the Langevin algorithm
# with a time step of 5 fs, the temperature T and the friction
# coefficient to 0.02 atomic units.
timestep_fs = 5
dyn = Langevin(
    atoms, timestep=timestep_fs * units.fs, temperature_K=T, friction=0.02
)

# We also want to save the positions of all atoms after every 100th time step.
traj = Trajectory('fccCu_NPT.traj', 'w', atoms)

# Now run the dynamics
print('running a NVT simulation of fcc Cu')
printenergy(atoms)
time_ps, temperature = [], []
mdind = 0
steps_per_block = 10
for i in range(200):
    dyn.run(steps_per_block)
    mdind += steps_per_block
    printenergy(atoms)
    # save the temperature of the current MD step
    time_ps.append(mdind * timestep_fs / 1000.0)
    temperature.append(atoms.get_temperature())

# Plot temperatures vs time
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(6, 4))
ax.plot(time_ps, temperature)
ax.set_xlabel('Time (ps)')
ax.set_ylabel('Temperature (K)')
ax.grid(True, linewidth=0.5, alpha=0.5)
plt.tight_layout()
plt.show()
md
/build/reproducible-path/python-ase-3.28.0/ase/md/langevin.py:110: FutureWarning: The implementation of `fixcm=True` in `Langevin` does not strictly sample the correct NVT distributions. The deviations are typically small for large systems but can be more pronounced for small systems. Use `fixcm=False` together with `ase.constraints.FixCom`. `fixcm` is deprecated since ASE 3.28.0 and will be removed in a future release.
  warnings.warn(msg, FutureWarning)
running a NVT simulation of fcc Cu
Energy per atom: Epot =524.308eV  Ekin = 0.000eV (T=0.000K) Etot = 524.308eV
Energy per atom: Epot =583.243eV  Ekin = 80.961eV (T=156.586K) Etot = 664.204eV
Energy per atom: Epot =652.321eV  Ekin = 143.113eV (T=276.792K) Etot = 795.434eV
Energy per atom: Epot =712.622eV  Ekin = 198.753eV (T=384.405K) Etot = 911.375eV
Energy per atom: Epot =767.449eV  Ekin = 249.952eV (T=483.429K) Etot = 1017.401eV
Energy per atom: Epot =814.971eV  Ekin = 298.645eV (T=577.605K) Etot = 1113.616eV
Energy per atom: Epot =862.999eV  Ekin = 346.576eV (T=670.308K) Etot = 1209.575eV
Energy per atom: Epot =901.616eV  Ekin = 387.494eV (T=749.447K) Etot = 1289.109eV
Energy per atom: Epot =952.521eV  Ekin = 409.738eV (T=792.469K) Etot = 1362.259eV
Energy per atom: Epot =991.698eV  Ekin = 441.754eV (T=854.391K) Etot = 1433.452eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1038.785eV  Ekin = 456.566eV (T=883.039K) Etot = 1495.351eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1071.720eV  Ekin = 481.414eV (T=931.096K) Etot = 1553.134eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1099.196eV  Ekin = 514.189eV (T=994.487K) Etot = 1613.386eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1130.545eV  Ekin = 539.330eV (T=1043.111K) Etot = 1669.875eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1165.473eV  Ekin = 552.357eV (T=1068.307K) Etot = 1717.831eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1186.999eV  Ekin = 570.155eV (T=1102.729K) Etot = 1757.154eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1222.650eV  Ekin = 580.063eV (T=1121.893K) Etot = 1802.713eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1245.040eV  Ekin = 591.318eV (T=1143.660K) Etot = 1836.358eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1271.304eV  Ekin = 595.781eV (T=1152.293K) Etot = 1867.085eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1299.896eV  Ekin = 604.355eV (T=1168.875K) Etot = 1904.251eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1322.935eV  Ekin = 616.122eV (T=1191.633K) Etot = 1939.057eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1353.759eV  Ekin = 622.615eV (T=1204.191K) Etot = 1976.374eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1377.882eV  Ekin = 625.012eV (T=1208.827K) Etot = 2002.893eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1393.349eV  Ekin = 636.967eV (T=1231.949K) Etot = 2030.316eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1411.091eV  Ekin = 657.280eV (T=1271.237K) Etot = 2068.371eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1419.999eV  Ekin = 673.700eV (T=1302.995K) Etot = 2093.700eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1441.778eV  Ekin = 669.139eV (T=1294.173K) Etot = 2110.917eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1454.847eV  Ekin = 662.366eV (T=1281.073K) Etot = 2117.212eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1462.797eV  Ekin = 680.797eV (T=1316.720K) Etot = 2143.594eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1482.271eV  Ekin = 681.642eV (T=1318.355K) Etot = 2163.914eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1497.469eV  Ekin = 689.908eV (T=1334.342K) Etot = 2187.377eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1521.655eV  Ekin = 690.093eV (T=1334.700K) Etot = 2211.748eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1538.810eV  Ekin = 681.319eV (T=1317.730K) Etot = 2220.128eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1541.657eV  Ekin = 695.340eV (T=1344.847K) Etot = 2236.996eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1549.761eV  Ekin = 702.237eV (T=1358.187K) Etot = 2251.997eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1557.909eV  Ekin = 708.328eV (T=1369.968K) Etot = 2266.237eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1570.705eV  Ekin = 703.187eV (T=1360.024K) Etot = 2273.891eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1585.589eV  Ekin = 699.223eV (T=1352.359K) Etot = 2284.813eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1592.229eV  Ekin = 708.220eV (T=1369.760K) Etot = 2300.449eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1613.610eV  Ekin = 703.506eV (T=1360.641K) Etot = 2317.115eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1627.113eV  Ekin = 699.370eV (T=1352.642K) Etot = 2326.483eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1618.945eV  Ekin = 718.742eV (T=1390.109K) Etot = 2337.686eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1626.475eV  Ekin = 717.314eV (T=1387.347K) Etot = 2343.788eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1634.190eV  Ekin = 716.537eV (T=1385.845K) Etot = 2350.726eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1650.070eV  Ekin = 711.906eV (T=1376.887K) Etot = 2361.975eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1643.966eV  Ekin = 728.726eV (T=1409.420K) Etot = 2372.692eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1662.514eV  Ekin = 730.468eV (T=1412.788K) Etot = 2392.981eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1679.900eV  Ekin = 718.992eV (T=1390.594K) Etot = 2398.893eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1677.764eV  Ekin = 740.480eV (T=1432.153K) Etot = 2418.244eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1694.891eV  Ekin = 725.320eV (T=1402.833K) Etot = 2420.211eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1713.613eV  Ekin = 721.468eV (T=1395.381K) Etot = 2435.080eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1713.685eV  Ekin = 726.868eV (T=1405.826K) Etot = 2440.553eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1712.008eV  Ekin = 724.663eV (T=1401.562K) Etot = 2436.671eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1721.922eV  Ekin = 725.572eV (T=1403.319K) Etot = 2447.494eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1712.408eV  Ekin = 740.744eV (T=1432.662K) Etot = 2453.152eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1731.511eV  Ekin = 736.349eV (T=1424.163K) Etot = 2467.860eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1738.158eV  Ekin = 730.742eV (T=1413.318K) Etot = 2468.899eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1739.800eV  Ekin = 731.885eV (T=1415.530K) Etot = 2471.685eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1749.128eV  Ekin = 720.320eV (T=1393.161K) Etot = 2469.448eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1747.094eV  Ekin = 729.766eV (T=1411.432K) Etot = 2476.861eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1756.095eV  Ekin = 726.229eV (T=1404.591K) Etot = 2482.325eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1770.666eV  Ekin = 730.380eV (T=1412.618K) Etot = 2501.046eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1771.858eV  Ekin = 737.805eV (T=1426.979K) Etot = 2509.663eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1766.183eV  Ekin = 749.779eV (T=1450.137K) Etot = 2515.961eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1771.045eV  Ekin = 755.027eV (T=1460.288K) Etot = 2526.072eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1790.580eV  Ekin = 740.944eV (T=1433.051K) Etot = 2531.524eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1792.911eV  Ekin = 752.090eV (T=1454.607K) Etot = 2545.000eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1799.150eV  Ekin = 749.949eV (T=1450.466K) Etot = 2549.098eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1804.621eV  Ekin = 751.155eV (T=1452.800K) Etot = 2555.777eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1807.150eV  Ekin = 762.685eV (T=1475.099K) Etot = 2569.835eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1826.650eV  Ekin = 759.527eV (T=1468.991K) Etot = 2586.177eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1843.044eV  Ekin = 744.487eV (T=1439.903K) Etot = 2587.531eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1845.291eV  Ekin = 738.945eV (T=1429.183K) Etot = 2584.236eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1849.500eV  Ekin = 748.404eV (T=1447.479K) Etot = 2597.904eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1844.110eV  Ekin = 757.399eV (T=1464.875K) Etot = 2601.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1847.477eV  Ekin = 755.793eV (T=1461.770K) Etot = 2603.270eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1858.274eV  Ekin = 743.969eV (T=1438.900K) Etot = 2602.243eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1858.382eV  Ekin = 749.023eV (T=1448.676K) Etot = 2607.405eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1859.909eV  Ekin = 764.749eV (T=1479.090K) Etot = 2624.658eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1859.926eV  Ekin = 760.879eV (T=1471.605K) Etot = 2620.805eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1881.533eV  Ekin = 741.761eV (T=1434.631K) Etot = 2623.295eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1860.552eV  Ekin = 758.876eV (T=1467.732K) Etot = 2619.428eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1874.287eV  Ekin = 748.150eV (T=1446.987K) Etot = 2622.437eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1872.414eV  Ekin = 747.833eV (T=1446.375K) Etot = 2620.247eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1890.560eV  Ekin = 747.506eV (T=1445.742K) Etot = 2638.067eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1886.944eV  Ekin = 754.401eV (T=1459.077K) Etot = 2641.345eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1883.258eV  Ekin = 760.959eV (T=1471.762K) Etot = 2644.217eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1869.933eV  Ekin = 779.121eV (T=1506.888K) Etot = 2649.054eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1876.571eV  Ekin = 760.393eV (T=1470.666K) Etot = 2636.964eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1886.756eV  Ekin = 756.693eV (T=1463.510K) Etot = 2643.449eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1896.516eV  Ekin = 750.070eV (T=1450.701K) Etot = 2646.587eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1882.751eV  Ekin = 769.958eV (T=1489.167K) Etot = 2652.709eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1886.436eV  Ekin = 771.208eV (T=1491.583K) Etot = 2657.644eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1904.612eV  Ekin = 766.035eV (T=1481.578K) Etot = 2670.647eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1900.771eV  Ekin = 765.183eV (T=1479.931K) Etot = 2665.954eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1902.935eV  Ekin = 766.125eV (T=1481.752K) Etot = 2669.060eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1914.681eV  Ekin = 749.819eV (T=1450.215K) Etot = 2664.500eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1916.353eV  Ekin = 759.784eV (T=1469.488K) Etot = 2676.136eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1921.057eV  Ekin = 758.385eV (T=1466.783K) Etot = 2679.443eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1924.747eV  Ekin = 747.621eV (T=1445.965K) Etot = 2672.369eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1919.773eV  Ekin = 754.116eV (T=1458.525K) Etot = 2673.889eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1921.377eV  Ekin = 762.354eV (T=1474.459K) Etot = 2683.731eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1906.144eV  Ekin = 771.567eV (T=1492.277K) Etot = 2677.711eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1912.201eV  Ekin = 767.619eV (T=1484.643K) Etot = 2679.821eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1919.531eV  Ekin = 756.477eV (T=1463.093K) Etot = 2676.008eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1920.024eV  Ekin = 768.471eV (T=1486.290K) Etot = 2688.496eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1932.574eV  Ekin = 762.474eV (T=1474.691K) Etot = 2695.048eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1937.013eV  Ekin = 765.287eV (T=1480.131K) Etot = 2702.300eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1930.873eV  Ekin = 764.975eV (T=1479.529K) Etot = 2695.848eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1927.449eV  Ekin = 768.535eV (T=1486.414K) Etot = 2695.984eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1945.037eV  Ekin = 762.035eV (T=1473.842K) Etot = 2707.072eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1955.079eV  Ekin = 748.488eV (T=1447.640K) Etot = 2703.567eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1937.084eV  Ekin = 767.203eV (T=1483.837K) Etot = 2704.286eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1951.922eV  Ekin = 762.289eV (T=1474.333K) Etot = 2714.211eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1962.387eV  Ekin = 748.977eV (T=1448.587K) Etot = 2711.364eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1935.118eV  Ekin = 777.772eV (T=1504.279K) Etot = 2712.890eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1962.189eV  Ekin = 758.324eV (T=1466.664K) Etot = 2720.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1948.687eV  Ekin = 766.198eV (T=1481.893K) Etot = 2714.885eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1964.244eV  Ekin = 760.191eV (T=1470.275K) Etot = 2724.435eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1949.756eV  Ekin = 776.707eV (T=1502.220K) Etot = 2726.464eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1949.938eV  Ekin = 783.561eV (T=1515.475K) Etot = 2733.499eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1957.459eV  Ekin = 779.115eV (T=1506.877K) Etot = 2736.574eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1951.607eV  Ekin = 788.891eV (T=1525.783K) Etot = 2740.498eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1966.760eV  Ekin = 790.906eV (T=1529.681K) Etot = 2757.666eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1964.167eV  Ekin = 793.290eV (T=1534.291K) Etot = 2757.457eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1969.911eV  Ekin = 782.761eV (T=1513.928K) Etot = 2752.672eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1980.599eV  Ekin = 773.327eV (T=1495.681K) Etot = 2753.925eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1982.245eV  Ekin = 770.728eV (T=1490.654K) Etot = 2752.972eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1973.992eV  Ekin = 783.698eV (T=1515.740K) Etot = 2757.690eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1974.971eV  Ekin = 773.102eV (T=1495.247K) Etot = 2748.074eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1969.167eV  Ekin = 792.881eV (T=1533.502K) Etot = 2762.048eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1973.048eV  Ekin = 793.652eV (T=1534.993K) Etot = 2766.700eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1991.845eV  Ekin = 774.769eV (T=1498.470K) Etot = 2766.614eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1974.059eV  Ekin = 780.861eV (T=1510.252K) Etot = 2754.920eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1974.596eV  Ekin = 782.412eV (T=1513.252K) Etot = 2757.007eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1979.156eV  Ekin = 784.562eV (T=1517.412K) Etot = 2763.719eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1969.016eV  Ekin = 791.103eV (T=1530.062K) Etot = 2760.119eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1980.672eV  Ekin = 780.405eV (T=1509.371K) Etot = 2761.077eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1980.136eV  Ekin = 787.433eV (T=1522.964K) Etot = 2767.570eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1972.005eV  Ekin = 781.657eV (T=1511.792K) Etot = 2753.662eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1981.208eV  Ekin = 771.743eV (T=1492.618K) Etot = 2752.951eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1976.415eV  Ekin = 776.187eV (T=1501.214K) Etot = 2752.602eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1979.956eV  Ekin = 777.930eV (T=1504.584K) Etot = 2757.886eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1977.058eV  Ekin = 779.542eV (T=1507.702K) Etot = 2756.600eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1974.792eV  Ekin = 777.243eV (T=1503.256K) Etot = 2752.035eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1980.523eV  Ekin = 770.360eV (T=1489.944K) Etot = 2750.883eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1972.842eV  Ekin = 763.655eV (T=1476.976K) Etot = 2736.497eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1967.327eV  Ekin = 762.045eV (T=1473.861K) Etot = 2729.372eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1968.780eV  Ekin = 767.562eV (T=1484.532K) Etot = 2736.342eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1984.323eV  Ekin = 758.762eV (T=1467.512K) Etot = 2743.085eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1965.640eV  Ekin = 775.531eV (T=1499.945K) Etot = 2741.171eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1978.116eV  Ekin = 768.936eV (T=1487.189K) Etot = 2747.052eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1976.838eV  Ekin = 766.055eV (T=1481.617K) Etot = 2742.893eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1974.288eV  Ekin = 764.827eV (T=1479.243K) Etot = 2739.115eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1968.514eV  Ekin = 772.029eV (T=1493.172K) Etot = 2740.543eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1968.331eV  Ekin = 770.110eV (T=1489.460K) Etot = 2738.442eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1964.011eV  Ekin = 773.506eV (T=1496.028K) Etot = 2737.517eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1983.771eV  Ekin = 756.477eV (T=1463.092K) Etot = 2740.248eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1971.955eV  Ekin = 767.539eV (T=1484.488K) Etot = 2739.494eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1976.532eV  Ekin = 767.084eV (T=1483.608K) Etot = 2743.617eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1978.863eV  Ekin = 764.360eV (T=1478.338K) Etot = 2743.223eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1984.589eV  Ekin = 771.022eV (T=1491.224K) Etot = 2755.611eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1979.322eV  Ekin = 769.726eV (T=1488.718K) Etot = 2749.048eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1976.087eV  Ekin = 761.905eV (T=1473.590K) Etot = 2737.992eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1972.939eV  Ekin = 776.521eV (T=1501.860K) Etot = 2749.460eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1983.557eV  Ekin = 774.734eV (T=1498.402K) Etot = 2758.291eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1975.545eV  Ekin = 787.556eV (T=1523.203K) Etot = 2763.101eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1991.470eV  Ekin = 773.230eV (T=1495.494K) Etot = 2764.700eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1981.747eV  Ekin = 774.691eV (T=1498.319K) Etot = 2756.438eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1968.653eV  Ekin = 771.195eV (T=1491.558K) Etot = 2739.848eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1974.006eV  Ekin = 763.870eV (T=1477.390K) Etot = 2737.876eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1958.741eV  Ekin = 778.450eV (T=1505.589K) Etot = 2737.191eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1969.087eV  Ekin = 764.806eV (T=1479.202K) Etot = 2733.893eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1967.415eV  Ekin = 759.432eV (T=1468.807K) Etot = 2726.847eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1965.963eV  Ekin = 751.638eV (T=1453.732K) Etot = 2717.601eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1963.582eV  Ekin = 753.126eV (T=1456.611K) Etot = 2716.708eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1955.459eV  Ekin = 757.957eV (T=1465.954K) Etot = 2713.416eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1951.131eV  Ekin = 762.488eV (T=1474.718K) Etot = 2713.619eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1963.551eV  Ekin = 753.813eV (T=1457.940K) Etot = 2717.364eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1949.771eV  Ekin = 765.218eV (T=1479.997K) Etot = 2714.989eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1952.623eV  Ekin = 769.441eV (T=1488.166K) Etot = 2722.064eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1947.933eV  Ekin = 777.060eV (T=1502.902K) Etot = 2724.993eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1962.375eV  Ekin = 754.466eV (T=1459.203K) Etot = 2716.841eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1959.683eV  Ekin = 755.631eV (T=1461.456K) Etot = 2715.314eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1940.308eV  Ekin = 778.063eV (T=1504.842K) Etot = 2718.372eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1952.518eV  Ekin = 758.040eV (T=1466.116K) Etot = 2710.558eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1945.797eV  Ekin = 764.409eV (T=1478.434K) Etot = 2710.206eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1944.415eV  Ekin = 773.886eV (T=1496.764K) Etot = 2718.302eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1933.514eV  Ekin = 780.113eV (T=1508.806K) Etot = 2713.626eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1934.756eV  Ekin = 770.624eV (T=1490.453K) Etot = 2705.380eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1941.313eV  Ekin = 759.323eV (T=1468.597K) Etot = 2700.636eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1943.863eV  Ekin = 763.949eV (T=1477.544K) Etot = 2707.812eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1946.838eV  Ekin = 757.485eV (T=1465.042K) Etot = 2704.323eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1939.156eV  Ekin = 776.329eV (T=1501.487K) Etot = 2715.485eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1952.914eV  Ekin = 763.974eV (T=1477.593K) Etot = 2716.888eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1949.057eV  Ekin = 769.680eV (T=1488.628K) Etot = 2718.738eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1953.863eV  Ekin = 762.377eV (T=1474.504K) Etot = 2716.240eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1964.352eV  Ekin = 749.051eV (T=1448.730K) Etot = 2713.403eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1953.473eV  Ekin = 752.925eV (T=1456.222K) Etot = 2706.397eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1947.980eV  Ekin = 754.722eV (T=1459.698K) Etot = 2702.703eV
Energy per atom: Epot =1952.187eV  Ekin = 756.541eV (T=1463.217K) Etot = 2708.728eV

After running the simulation, you can study the result with the command

ase gui fccCu_NPT.traj

Try plotting the kinetic energy. Like in the temperature vs time plot you will not see a well-defined melting point due to finite size effects (including surface melting), but you will probably see an almost flat region where the inside of the system melts. The outermost layers melt at a lower temperature.

Note

The Langevin dynamics will by default keep the position and momentum of the center of mass unperturbed. This is another improvement over just setting momenta corresponding to a temperature, as we did before.

Part 3: Isolated particle MD#

When simulating isolated particles with MD, it is sometimes preferable to set random momenta corresponding to a specific temperature and let the system evolve freely. With a relatively high temperature, the is however a risk that the collection of atoms will drift out of the simulation box because the randomized momenta gave the center of mass a small but non-zero velocity too.

Let us see what happens when we propagate a nanoparticle:

size = 4
atoms = ClusterFCC(
    'Cu',
    surfaces=[[1, 0, 0], [1, 1, 0], [1, 1, 1]],
    layers=(size, size, size),
    vacuum=4,
)
# asap3 requires a non-zero cell even if pbc are not applied
atoms.cell = [40] * 3
atoms.set_pbc(False)  # isolated cluster (explicit, for clarity)

# Describe the interatomic interactions with the Effective Medium Theory
atoms.calc = EMT()

# Quick relaxation of the cluster
qn = QuasiNewton(atoms)
qn.run(fmax=0.001, steps=10)

# Set the momenta corresponding to T=1200 K
MaxwellBoltzmannDistribution(atoms, temperature_K=1200)
Stationary(atoms)  # zero linear momentum
ZeroRotation(atoms)  # zero angular momentum

# Run MD using the Velocity Verlet algorithm and save trajectory
dyn = VelocityVerlet(atoms, 5 * units.fs, trajectory='nanoparticleCu_NVE.traj')

print('running a NVE simulation of a Cu nanoparticle')
printenergy(atoms)
steps_per_block = 10
for i in range(200):
    dyn.run(steps_per_block)
    printenergy(atoms)
                Step[ FC]     Time          Energy          fmax
BFGSLineSearch:    0[  0] 13:27:15       43.245239       1.0870
BFGSLineSearch:    1[  1] 13:27:15       42.120661       0.2296
BFGSLineSearch:    2[  2] 13:27:15       41.867789       0.1409
BFGSLineSearch:    3[  3] 13:27:15       41.713030       0.1175
BFGSLineSearch:    4[  4] 13:27:15       41.671285       0.0689
BFGSLineSearch:    5[  5] 13:27:15       41.661506       0.0228
BFGSLineSearch:    6[  6] 13:27:15       41.661063       0.0064
BFGSLineSearch:    7[  7] 13:27:15       41.661007       0.0025
BFGSLineSearch:    8[  8] 13:27:15       41.660988       0.0021
BFGSLineSearch:    9[  9] 13:27:15       41.660979       0.0011
BFGSLineSearch:   10[ 10] 13:27:15       41.660978       0.0004
running a NVE simulation of a Cu nanoparticle
Energy per atom: Epot =41.661eV  Ekin = 17.797eV (T=1480.491K) Etot = 59.458eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.323eV  Ekin = 7.184eV (T=597.582K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.092eV  Ekin = 7.420eV (T=617.284K) Etot = 59.512eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.861eV  Ekin = 6.655eV (T=553.629K) Etot = 59.516eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.918eV  Ekin = 6.592eV (T=548.356K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.087eV  Ekin = 7.426eV (T=617.724K) Etot = 59.512eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.888eV  Ekin = 7.616eV (T=633.573K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.964eV  Ekin = 8.538eV (T=710.249K) Etot = 59.502eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.574eV  Ekin = 8.931eV (T=742.962K) Etot = 59.505eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.713eV  Ekin = 8.793eV (T=731.467K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.555eV  Ekin = 7.957eV (T=661.897K) Etot = 59.512eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.072eV  Ekin = 7.439eV (T=618.826K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.213eV  Ekin = 7.299eV (T=607.191K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.351eV  Ekin = 8.155eV (T=678.397K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.543eV  Ekin = 8.958eV (T=745.217K) Etot = 59.501eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.301eV  Ekin = 8.208eV (T=682.821K) Etot = 59.509eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.918eV  Ekin = 7.596eV (T=631.854K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.260eV  Ekin = 8.251eV (T=686.401K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.489eV  Ekin = 7.027eV (T=584.562K) Etot = 59.516eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.450eV  Ekin = 8.060eV (T=670.523K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.765eV  Ekin = 7.750eV (T=644.666K) Etot = 59.515eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.259eV  Ekin = 8.251eV (T=686.358K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.402eV  Ekin = 9.095eV (T=756.595K) Etot = 59.497eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.173eV  Ekin = 8.334eV (T=693.242K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.424eV  Ekin = 9.081eV (T=755.394K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.931eV  Ekin = 7.582eV (T=630.693K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.225eV  Ekin = 8.282eV (T=688.971K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.064eV  Ekin = 8.436eV (T=701.768K) Etot = 59.500eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.044eV  Ekin = 7.463eV (T=620.836K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.567eV  Ekin = 7.939eV (T=660.427K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.900eV  Ekin = 7.609eV (T=632.983K) Etot = 59.509eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.195eV  Ekin = 7.316eV (T=608.626K) Etot = 59.512eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.535eV  Ekin = 6.976eV (T=580.301K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.820eV  Ekin = 6.693eV (T=556.761K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.917eV  Ekin = 7.591eV (T=631.452K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.128eV  Ekin = 7.376eV (T=613.616K) Etot = 59.505eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.571eV  Ekin = 6.936eV (T=576.990K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.359eV  Ekin = 7.151eV (T=594.902K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.429eV  Ekin = 8.080eV (T=672.138K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.115eV  Ekin = 7.402eV (T=615.722K) Etot = 59.516eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.617eV  Ekin = 7.893eV (T=656.574K) Etot = 59.509eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.672eV  Ekin = 7.840eV (T=652.200K) Etot = 59.512eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.961eV  Ekin = 7.550eV (T=628.081K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.520eV  Ekin = 6.994eV (T=581.789K) Etot = 59.514eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.414eV  Ekin = 7.102eV (T=590.827K) Etot = 59.516eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.075eV  Ekin = 8.433eV (T=701.548K) Etot = 59.509eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.363eV  Ekin = 8.148eV (T=677.828K) Etot = 59.512eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.817eV  Ekin = 8.687eV (T=722.666K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.823eV  Ekin = 7.690eV (T=639.698K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.197eV  Ekin = 7.314eV (T=608.447K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.947eV  Ekin = 6.564eV (T=546.047K) Etot = 59.512eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.362eV  Ekin = 7.149eV (T=594.715K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.837eV  Ekin = 7.671eV (T=638.102K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.236eV  Ekin = 8.273eV (T=688.188K) Etot = 59.509eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.859eV  Ekin = 8.647eV (T=719.306K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.744eV  Ekin = 8.756eV (T=728.384K) Etot = 59.500eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.164eV  Ekin = 8.337eV (T=693.520K) Etot = 59.501eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.678eV  Ekin = 7.827eV (T=651.082K) Etot = 59.505eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.097eV  Ekin = 8.407eV (T=699.358K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.154eV  Ekin = 8.355eV (T=695.059K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.053eV  Ekin = 8.452eV (T=703.131K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.029eV  Ekin = 8.475eV (T=705.045K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.418eV  Ekin = 9.090eV (T=756.139K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.633eV  Ekin = 7.877eV (T=655.247K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.248eV  Ekin = 8.255eV (T=686.702K) Etot = 59.503eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.473eV  Ekin = 8.030eV (T=668.022K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.040eV  Ekin = 8.455eV (T=703.355K) Etot = 59.496eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.256eV  Ekin = 8.247eV (T=686.037K) Etot = 59.503eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.181eV  Ekin = 8.319eV (T=692.026K) Etot = 59.500eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.380eV  Ekin = 9.120eV (T=758.688K) Etot = 59.500eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.707eV  Ekin = 7.804eV (T=649.159K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.201eV  Ekin = 7.314eV (T=608.440K) Etot = 59.516eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.701eV  Ekin = 8.806eV (T=732.516K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.396eV  Ekin = 8.115eV (T=675.039K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.623eV  Ekin = 7.890eV (T=656.325K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.114eV  Ekin = 8.394eV (T=698.307K) Etot = 59.509eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.951eV  Ekin = 8.549eV (T=711.140K) Etot = 59.499eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.921eV  Ekin = 8.582eV (T=713.881K) Etot = 59.503eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.566eV  Ekin = 7.942eV (T=660.654K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.759eV  Ekin = 7.750eV (T=644.729K) Etot = 59.509eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.974eV  Ekin = 8.532eV (T=709.735K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.564eV  Ekin = 7.944eV (T=660.824K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.410eV  Ekin = 8.099eV (T=673.742K) Etot = 59.509eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.691eV  Ekin = 7.813eV (T=649.943K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.679eV  Ekin = 8.825eV (T=734.099K) Etot = 59.503eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.898eV  Ekin = 9.612eV (T=799.551K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.676eV  Ekin = 8.828eV (T=734.392K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.470eV  Ekin = 9.029eV (T=751.082K) Etot = 59.499eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.458eV  Ekin = 8.044eV (T=669.147K) Etot = 59.502eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.753eV  Ekin = 7.753eV (T=644.986K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.112eV  Ekin = 8.398eV (T=698.638K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.216eV  Ekin = 8.297eV (T=690.162K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.837eV  Ekin = 8.677eV (T=721.823K) Etot = 59.514eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.783eV  Ekin = 8.728eV (T=726.077K) Etot = 59.512eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.425eV  Ekin = 9.082eV (T=755.497K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.774eV  Ekin = 7.732eV (T=643.206K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.924eV  Ekin = 8.579eV (T=713.630K) Etot = 59.502eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.719eV  Ekin = 6.798eV (T=565.487K) Etot = 59.516eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.780eV  Ekin = 7.736eV (T=643.555K) Etot = 59.516eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.571eV  Ekin = 7.936eV (T=660.187K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.080eV  Ekin = 8.418eV (T=700.241K) Etot = 59.498eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.038eV  Ekin = 9.459eV (T=786.870K) Etot = 59.497eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.605eV  Ekin = 8.905eV (T=740.786K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.016eV  Ekin = 8.491eV (T=706.305K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.008eV  Ekin = 8.497eV (T=706.796K) Etot = 59.505eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.457eV  Ekin = 9.047eV (T=752.598K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.662eV  Ekin = 8.843eV (T=735.627K) Etot = 59.505eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.366eV  Ekin = 10.133eV (T=842.957K) Etot = 59.499eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.065eV  Ekin = 9.434eV (T=784.782K) Etot = 59.499eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.374eV  Ekin = 8.125eV (T=675.890K) Etot = 59.499eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.391eV  Ekin = 9.107eV (T=757.568K) Etot = 59.498eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.581eV  Ekin = 8.921eV (T=742.081K) Etot = 59.501eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.622eV  Ekin = 7.883eV (T=655.785K) Etot = 59.505eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.364eV  Ekin = 9.139eV (T=760.280K) Etot = 59.503eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.568eV  Ekin = 7.944eV (T=660.805K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.762eV  Ekin = 8.748eV (T=727.695K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.038eV  Ekin = 9.462eV (T=787.082K) Etot = 59.500eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.883eV  Ekin = 8.622eV (T=717.261K) Etot = 59.505eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.666eV  Ekin = 8.834eV (T=734.833K) Etot = 59.500eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.289eV  Ekin = 8.211eV (T=683.044K) Etot = 59.500eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.423eV  Ekin = 8.083eV (T=672.432K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.699eV  Ekin = 8.810eV (T=732.890K) Etot = 59.509eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.563eV  Ekin = 7.947eV (T=661.075K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.852eV  Ekin = 8.653eV (T=719.792K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.485eV  Ekin = 9.024eV (T=750.654K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.818eV  Ekin = 8.694eV (T=723.209K) Etot = 59.512eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.895eV  Ekin = 9.606eV (T=799.071K) Etot = 59.501eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.733eV  Ekin = 7.779eV (T=647.098K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.121eV  Ekin = 8.386eV (T=697.620K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.284eV  Ekin = 10.213eV (T=849.606K) Etot = 59.497eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.003eV  Ekin = 8.507eV (T=707.632K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.098eV  Ekin = 8.415eV (T=700.042K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.497eV  Ekin = 8.015eV (T=666.721K) Etot = 59.512eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.545eV  Ekin = 7.966eV (T=662.622K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.026eV  Ekin = 7.488eV (T=622.908K) Etot = 59.514eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.175eV  Ekin = 9.328eV (T=775.949K) Etot = 59.503eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.281eV  Ekin = 8.232eV (T=684.770K) Etot = 59.512eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.967eV  Ekin = 9.538eV (T=793.424K) Etot = 59.505eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.381eV  Ekin = 9.126eV (T=759.178K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.194eV  Ekin = 9.306eV (T=774.151K) Etot = 59.500eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.284eV  Ekin = 8.223eV (T=684.037K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.510eV  Ekin = 8.004eV (T=665.865K) Etot = 59.515eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.740eV  Ekin = 8.763eV (T=728.936K) Etot = 59.503eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.205eV  Ekin = 8.300eV (T=690.422K) Etot = 59.505eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.197eV  Ekin = 9.308eV (T=774.262K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.411eV  Ekin = 9.099eV (T=756.946K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.907eV  Ekin = 9.596eV (T=798.279K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.193eV  Ekin = 8.314eV (T=691.597K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.451eV  Ekin = 8.060eV (T=670.464K) Etot = 59.511eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.089eV  Ekin = 9.416eV (T=783.275K) Etot = 59.505eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.129eV  Ekin = 10.374eV (T=862.939K) Etot = 59.503eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.962eV  Ekin = 9.546eV (T=794.074K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.384eV  Ekin = 9.124eV (T=759.017K) Etot = 59.509eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.584eV  Ekin = 8.925eV (T=742.450K) Etot = 59.509eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.672eV  Ekin = 8.833eV (T=734.746K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.921eV  Ekin = 8.586eV (T=714.208K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.998eV  Ekin = 8.515eV (T=708.298K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.629eV  Ekin = 9.869eV (T=820.994K) Etot = 59.498eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.521eV  Ekin = 7.982eV (T=663.980K) Etot = 59.502eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.908eV  Ekin = 9.597eV (T=798.381K) Etot = 59.505eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.518eV  Ekin = 7.997eV (T=665.239K) Etot = 59.515eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.183eV  Ekin = 9.318eV (T=775.108K) Etot = 59.501eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.623eV  Ekin = 8.880eV (T=738.729K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.824eV  Ekin = 8.680eV (T=722.078K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.015eV  Ekin = 9.482eV (T=788.795K) Etot = 59.497eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.184eV  Ekin = 8.320eV (T=692.112K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.483eV  Ekin = 9.016eV (T=750.010K) Etot = 59.499eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.689eV  Ekin = 8.818eV (T=733.513K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.914eV  Ekin = 8.592eV (T=714.769K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =52.364eV  Ekin = 7.149eV (T=594.674K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.449eV  Ekin = 9.053eV (T=753.113K) Etot = 59.502eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.315eV  Ekin = 10.183eV (T=847.057K) Etot = 59.498eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.610eV  Ekin = 8.900eV (T=740.381K) Etot = 59.510eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.921eV  Ekin = 9.587eV (T=797.496K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.603eV  Ekin = 7.911eV (T=658.060K) Etot = 59.514eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.166eV  Ekin = 9.336eV (T=776.620K) Etot = 59.502eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.038eV  Ekin = 8.468eV (T=704.387K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.325eV  Ekin = 9.188eV (T=764.337K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.350eV  Ekin = 8.163eV (T=679.052K) Etot = 59.513eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.299eV  Ekin = 9.204eV (T=765.663K) Etot = 59.503eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.836eV  Ekin = 8.670eV (T=721.244K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.356eV  Ekin = 9.153eV (T=761.382K) Etot = 59.508eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.978eV  Ekin = 9.523eV (T=792.185K) Etot = 59.501eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.858eV  Ekin = 9.645eV (T=802.375K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.300eV  Ekin = 9.204eV (T=765.624K) Etot = 59.504eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.176eV  Ekin = 9.329eV (T=776.083K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =51.217eV  Ekin = 8.290eV (T=689.589K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.246eV  Ekin = 9.257eV (T=770.052K) Etot = 59.503eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.025eV  Ekin = 9.481eV (T=788.681K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.908eV  Ekin = 8.599eV (T=715.344K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.453eV  Ekin = 9.048eV (T=752.686K) Etot = 59.501eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.746eV  Ekin = 8.760eV (T=728.717K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.666eV  Ekin = 8.840eV (T=735.399K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.917eV  Ekin = 8.597eV (T=715.155K) Etot = 59.514eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.384eV  Ekin = 9.122eV (T=758.846K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.112eV  Ekin = 9.391eV (T=781.198K) Etot = 59.503eV
Energy per atom: Epot =49.863eV  Ekin = 9.644eV (T=802.233K) Etot = 59.507eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.542eV  Ekin = 8.964eV (T=745.693K) Etot = 59.506eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.546eV  Ekin = 8.952eV (T=744.702K) Etot = 59.498eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.078eV  Ekin = 9.417eV (T=783.357K) Etot = 59.495eV
Energy per atom: Epot =50.690eV  Ekin = 8.815eV (T=733.298K) Etot = 59.505eV

After running the simulation, use ASE’s GUI to compare the resulting trajectory with how it looks if you comment out either the line that says Stationary(atoms), ZeroRotation(atoms) or both:

ase gui nanoparticleCu_NVE.traj

Try playing the movie with a high frame rate and set frame skipping to a low number. Can you spot the subtle difference?

Total running time of the script: (24 minutes 41.791 seconds)

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