Transitioning model potentials to real systems

The parameters of two pair potentials that describe argon over its entire liquid phase at a fixed pressure were optimized through a novel application of constant temperature and pressure molecular dynamics (NPT-MD) and Monte Carlo (NPT-MC) computer simulations. The forms of these potentials were those of a modified Lennard-Jones potential and a Lennard-Jones potential. The optimized potential determined using NPT-MD simulations reproduces experimental densities, internal energies and enthalpies with an error less than 1% over most of the liquid range and yields self-diffusion coefficients that are in excellent agreement with experiment. The results using the potential determined by NPT-MC simulations are in almost as good agreement with deviations from experiment of no more than 5.89% for temperatures up to vaporization. Additionally, molar volumes predicted using this potential at pressures in the range 100–600 atm and over temperatures in the range 100–140K were within 0.83% of experimental values. These results show that, when properly parametrized, Lennard-Jones-like potentials can describe a system well over a large temperature range. Further, the method introduced is easy to implement and is independent of the form of the interaction potential used.