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Main Authors: Heinz, Frederick, Jähnigen, Sascha, Schäfer, Joana-Lysiane, Keller, Bettina G.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.22631
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author Heinz, Frederick
Jähnigen, Sascha
Schäfer, Joana-Lysiane
Keller, Bettina G.
author_facet Heinz, Frederick
Jähnigen, Sascha
Schäfer, Joana-Lysiane
Keller, Bettina G.
contents Reliable dynamical properties from molecular dynamics simulations require careful control of thermostatting artifacts. We systematically assess how NVE, deterministic thermostats, velocity-rescale dynamics, and stochastic Langevin-type thermostats affect time-correlation functions across liquids of varying complexity. The analysis spans vibrational spectra, velocity and pressure autocorrelations, diffusion coefficients, shear viscosities, and Markov state models. Deterministic thermostats and velocity-rescale dynamics closely reproduce NVE reference data over all observables. In contrast, strongly coupled stochastic thermostats (tau less 1 ps) systematically distort dynamical properties. By constrast, moderate stochastic coupling (tau eq. 1 ps) restores near-NVE behavior while maintaining canonical sampling. Our results provide practical guidelines for selecting thermostat schemes when accurate dynamical properties or Markov models are required.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_22631
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle How Thermostats Influence Dynamics Across Time Scales: A Systematic Study from Fast Motions to Slow Transitions
Heinz, Frederick
Jähnigen, Sascha
Schäfer, Joana-Lysiane
Keller, Bettina G.
Chemical Physics
Reliable dynamical properties from molecular dynamics simulations require careful control of thermostatting artifacts. We systematically assess how NVE, deterministic thermostats, velocity-rescale dynamics, and stochastic Langevin-type thermostats affect time-correlation functions across liquids of varying complexity. The analysis spans vibrational spectra, velocity and pressure autocorrelations, diffusion coefficients, shear viscosities, and Markov state models. Deterministic thermostats and velocity-rescale dynamics closely reproduce NVE reference data over all observables. In contrast, strongly coupled stochastic thermostats (tau less 1 ps) systematically distort dynamical properties. By constrast, moderate stochastic coupling (tau eq. 1 ps) restores near-NVE behavior while maintaining canonical sampling. Our results provide practical guidelines for selecting thermostat schemes when accurate dynamical properties or Markov models are required.
title How Thermostats Influence Dynamics Across Time Scales: A Systematic Study from Fast Motions to Slow Transitions
topic Chemical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.22631