Topics

  • Multiscale modelling: molecular/continuum hybrids
  • Fluctuating hydrodynamics
  • Particle hydrodynamics
  • Polymer dynamics
  • Capillary waves
  • Coarse graining with proper dynamics
  • Some talks in pdf
  • Multiscale modelling

  • HybridMD: coupling molecular dynamics with fluctuating hydrodynamics

  • Multiscale modelling of liquids with molecular specificity

    The separation between molecular and mesoscopic length and time scales poses a severe limit to molecular simulations of mesoscale phenomena. We describe a hybrid multiscale computational technique which address this problem by keeping the full molecular nature of the system where it is of interest and coarse-graining it elsewhere. This is made possible by coupling molecular dynamics with a mesoscopic description of realistic liquids based on Landau's fluctuating hydrodynamics. We show that our scheme correctly couples hydrodynamics and that fluctuations, at both the molecular and continuum levels, are thermodynamically consistent. Hybrid simulations of sound waves in bulk water and reflected by a lipid monolayer are presented as illustrations of the scheme.

    Modelling the mesoscale with molecular specificity, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 134501 (2006). pdf file


    Co-worker: Gianni De Fabritiis
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  • Open MD: molecular dynamics for open systems:

    One of the requisities of the hybrid particle-continuum models is that the molecular system has to be open . In other words, mass, momentum and energy have to be transfered from and to the MD domain to the outside world. As an important byproduct, HybridMD provides a route to perform molecular simulations in the grand canonical ensemble, preserving the correct dynamical properties at the MD domain. Note that previous simulations in the GC ensemble were either MonteCarlo (dynamics are not solved), or do disrupt the dynamics of the MD domain by brute force particle insertion. The present algorithm only affects a small particle buffer at the MD borders, where the particle exchange takes place and external pressure is imposed. In fact, just like in a real confined system.
  • Triple scale modelling: AdResS - hybridMD

  • In this work we construct a triple-scale simulation scheme for molecular liquids which concurrently couples: atomistic, coarse-grained and continuum descriptions of the liquid. The presented multiscale approach covers the length-scales ranging from the micro- to macro-scale and it is based on a combination of two dual-scale models: the particle-based Adaptive Resolution Scheme (AdResS) , which couples the atomic and mesoscopic scales, and the hybrid continuum-molecular dynamics scheme (HybridMD) . The combined AdResS-HybridMD scheme sorts out the problem of large molecule insertion in hybrid particle-continuum simulations of molecular liquids. The combined model is shown to correctly describe the hydrodynamics within a hybrid particle-continuum framework. The presented approach opens up the possibility to perform efficient grand-canonical molecular dynamics simulations of liquids composed by relatively large molecules.

    R. Delgado-Buscalioni, K. Kremer and M. Praprotnik, Concurrent triple-scale simulation for molecular liquids J. Chem. Phys. 128 114110 (2008).

    Co-workers: Matej Praprotnik , Kurt Kremer


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    Fluctuating hydrodynamics

  • Fluctuating hydrodynamics for realistic liquid models

  • A good representation of mesoscopic fluids is required to complement molecular simulations at larger scales. However, computational models providing accurate and efficient description of hydrodynamics at the nanoscale are scarce, possibly because of the stochastic character of the underlaying flucutating hydrodynamics (FH) equations. Here, we derive a simple finite volume discretization over a regular grid of the compressible isothermal fluctuating hydrodynamics equations in the Eulerian reference system. We describe realistic fluids, such as argon at arbitrary densities and water (TIP3P model) at ambient conditions (T=300 K). To that end, molecular dynamics simulations are used to derive the required fluid properties: transport coefficients and pressure equation of state. The equilibrium state of the model is shown to be thermodynamically consistent and shown to correctly reproduce linear hydrodynamics (relaxation of sound and shear modes). We also consider non-equilibrium states involving diffusion and convection, in cavities with either slip or no-slip boundary conditions.
    In collaboration with Aleks Donev and the group of Charles Peskin we have recently developed a third order Runge Kutta algorithm in a staggered grid to solve fluctuating hydrodynamics of ideal mixtures. Implementations for both compressible and incompressible fluids are now available. The algorithms have been written in CUDA to work with GPU solvers, by Florencio Balboa (UAM). The computational efficiency has been sppeded up a factor 100 over single CPU processors.
    Co-workers: Florencio Balboa Usabiaga (UAM) Aleks Donev (Courant Institute of New York) , Gianni De Fabritiis
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    Particle hydrodynamics


  • Inertial Coupling: Ultrasound forces and more

  • We have recently developed a method for particle hydrodynamics based on an hybrid Eulerian-Lagrangian approach. Particle dynamics are solved in continuum space while the fluid is solved in an Eulerian mesh, and described by finite volume fluctuating hydrodynamics. This set-up is particularly suited for micron-size devices where the Reynolds number is small but thermal fluctuations are important. However extensions to incompressible fluids at arbitrary Reynolds number are now available . The particle-fluid coupling force is obtained by imposing zero relative (particle-fluid) velocity at a local average over the particle volume. In doing so the momentum exchanged between fluid and particle is transferred instantaneously ensuring a correct treatment of inertia and proper particle velocity fluctuations uniquely driven by fluid thermal forces. The present scheme is designed for incompressible and compressible fluids at low Mach number. The velocity field around the particle is correctly captured up to distances of about one particle hydrodynamic diameter. In the compressible formulation the scheme correctly captures acoustic forces on colloidal particles, arising from ultrasound waves. This opens the possibility to study the interaction between soft matter and ultrasound, with important technological applications. In the movie, a standing pressure wave of about 1GHz is ordering micron size colloidal particles to the nodes of the pressure wave (acoustic forcing).
    Co-workers: Co-worker: Florencio Balboa Usabiaga (UAM) Aleks Donev (Courant Institute of New York) , Ignacio Pagonabarraga (Universidad de Barcelona)
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  • Florencio Balboa Usabiaga, Ignacio Pagonabarraga, Rafael Delgado-Buscalioni, Inertial coupling for point particle fluctuating hydrodynamics , Journal of Computational Physics 235, 701 (2013)
  • F. Balboa Usabiaga, R. Delgado-Buscalioni, B. E. Griffith, A. Donev Inertial Coupling Method for particles in an incompressible fluctuating fluid , submitted - (2013)
  • Open boundary conditions for fluctuating hydrodynamics


  • Non-reflecting boundary conditions (NRBC) are designed to evacuate sound waves out of the computational domain, thus allowing to deal with open systems and to avoid finite size effects associated with periodic boundaries . Thermodynamic consistency for the fluctuation of the total mass and momentum of the open system is ensured by a fluctuation-dissipation balance which controls the amplitude of the sound waves generated by stress fluctuations near the boundary. We consider equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium situations (forced sound) in liquid water at ambient conditions and argon ranging from gas to liquid densities. Non-reflecting boundaries for fluctuating hydrodynamics makes feasible simulations of ultrasound in microfluidic devices. The figure shows the power spectra of density waves in a simulation box with an oscillatory forcing at one point. Periodic boundaries (PBC) arecontaminated by spurious (eigen) modes of the box, while using NRBC, only the exicted wave appears. Co-workers: Anne Dejoan (CIEMAT)

    Polymer dynamics

  • Dynamics of a single polymer under shear flow: cyclic dynamics

  • The long-time dynamics of a single end-tethered chain under shear flow are studied using molecular and Brownian dynamics simulations of a flexible polymer. As observed in previous experiments with tethered DNA [Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 4769 (2000)], under a flow sheared at constant rate the chain performs a cyclic motion. But contrary to what it has been previously suggested, a well defined characteristic period exists and, it is clearly revealed in the cross-spectra of the chain extension along flow and gradient directions. The main cycling time scales like the convective time needed by the flow to stretch the polymer, being about ten times the longest relaxation time of the chain in flow. This coherent recursive motion introduces long memory in the fluid and suggests resonance effects under periodic external forcing.

    R. Delgado-Buscalioni, Cyclic dynamics of a tethered polymer under shear flow, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 088303 (2006)


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  • Star polymers


  • Co-worker: Juan J. Freire (UNED)
  • Dynamics of nanoscale capillary waves


  • At the nanoscale capillary waves (CW) are ussually overdamped by viscosity. We have analized its structure, dynamics and kinetics of adsorbed atoms using molecular dynamics simulations of simple liquid slabs. The surface Fourier modes, constructed using the Intrinsic Sampling Method [Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 166103] provide a structural measure of the wavenumber dependent surface tension. In Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 106102 (2008) we follow a dynamic route to the surface tension; the time autocorrelation of the surface modes is calculated to measure the damping rate of the overdamped CW and finally the surface tension via the theoretical hydrodynamic dispersion relation. This prediction is found to be more robust that the structural one and it strongly supports the existence of a proper definition of the intrinsic surface providing consistent structural and dynamic roles of the surface tension. Moreover, the hydrodynamic picture remains valid up to surprisingly small wavelengths, of about four molecular diameters. At shorter scales, surface tension driven CWs cease to exist and we find a transition to a molecular diffusion regime. Co-workers: Pedro Tarazona (UAM) , Enrique Chacon (CSIC)
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    Coarse graining preserving dynamical properties


    Zwanzig theory of projection operators is a corner-stone of Non-Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics. However, the theory has been deemed a formal one in that it is usually very difficult to compute explicitly the different objects appearing in it. Also, the basic Markovian approximation that simplifies the theory is performed in an uncontrolled way, resulting in the well-known {\em plateau problem}. Here, we present an operational procedure that allows one to compute explicitly the different objects in the Fokker-Planck equation derived by Zwanzig. The method makes use of a constrained dynamics derived from a variational principle subject to constraints given by the macroscopic variables. The Green-Kubo formulas computed with the constrained dynamics do not suffer from the plateau problem. The methodology is illustrated for the coarse-graining of star polymer molecules in a melt through its center of mass, where the main message is that not only effective potentials, but also friction forces play a very important role in the dynamics. Finally, we also describe some intrinsic practical problems for the general use of Zwanzig theory, as the need to deal with functions of many variables, or the need to reconstruct microscopic information from macroscopic one in {\em on demand} simulations. Co-worker: Pep Español (UNED) , Eric Vanden-Eijnden (Courant Institute, New York)
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    Some talks and seminars

  • Dynamics of a polymer under shear flow
  • Multiscale modelling: hybrid MD
  • Hybrid MD (APS Meeting 2008)
  • Non-reflecting BC for Fluc. Hydro (APS Meeting 2008)
  • Capillary Waves at the nanoscale (Liquid Matter 2008)
  • Multiscale link: from DPD to fluctuating hydrodynamics (CECAM Workshop on DPD, July 2008)
  • The onion project (CECAM Workshop, Oct 2008)
  • Development and Analysis of Multiscale Methods; IMA, Univ. Minnesota, Minneapolis, Nov 2008 VIDEO OF THE PRESENTATION
  • Curso de Master Hidrodinamica computacional. May 2009
  • Tools in multiscale modelling. Talk at the workshop: "Numerical analysis of multiscale computations" Banff Interantional Research Station, Alberta, Canada, Dec. 2009
  • Coarse graining of star polymer melt dynamics. Cecam workshop. Dublin May 2010.
  • Open Molecular Dynamics, Max-Plank, Dresden. Sep. 2010.
  • Sound-soft matter interaction at different scales, ETH workshop, Ittingen. Oct. 2010.
  • Particle hydrodynamics, von Neumann Symposium, Snowbird, Utah. July 2011.