[gmx-users] Inaccurate pressure readings

Justin A. Lemkul jalemkul at vt.edu
Tue Feb 1 21:49:20 CET 2011



Denny Frost wrote:
> Sorry to revisit this subject, but this output does not make sense.  In 
> the log file from my NPT simulation, the pressure readings fluctuate 
> between about 300 bar and -300 bar, which I gather is pretty normal. 
>  However, at the end of the log file, it reports the average pressure 
> being almost 1000 bar.  g_energy also reports this value.  In my mdp 
> file, nstenergy is equal to nstlog, so the frequency of data is the same 
> in the .edr file.  How is is possible that the final average would be 
> greater than any value obtained during the simulation?
> 

As I recall from the previous discussion, there were lots of things wrong with 
your .mdp file and many things to troubleshoot.  Can you please post:

1. The .mdp file you're using
2. The contents of the "AVERAGES" and "RMS FLUCTUATIONS" sections of your .log file
3. The g_energy output (not the header stuff, just the actual meaningful result)

-Justin

> On Thu, Jan 20, 2011 at 4:33 PM, Mark Abraham <Mark.Abraham at anu.edu.au 
> <mailto:Mark.Abraham at anu.edu.au>> wrote:
> 
>     On 21/01/2011 10:12 AM, Denny Frost wrote:
>>     Sorry, I'm referring to a lot of runs here - some fluctuate more
>>     than others and some have greater average values than others.  The
>>     average value is never greater than the maximum fluctuation in
>>     each run, so that is not a problem.  The average given by
>>     g_energy, however, is not close to 1.0 bar in any of my runs.
>>      Some runs give an average pressure of 10 bar, some give an
>>     average value of -1000 bar.
> 
>     In addition to all the points Justin mentioned, I'd observe that
>     you're generating velocities at the start of the run, so the system
>     will not be equilibrated for some time after that. See the advice
>     here
>     www.gromacs.org/Documentation/How-tos/Steps_to_Perform_a_Simulation
>     <http://www.gromacs.org/Documentation/How-tos/Steps_to_Perform_a_Simulation>.
>     Anyway, you don't want to collect data for averages until after
>     equilibration.
> 
>     Secondly, tau-t of 0.1 is useful for equilibration, but a bit too
>     stringent for actual simulations. Using v-rescale T-coupling is
>     probably a good idea too.
> 
>     Until you address all these issues about the numerical quality of
>     your model of reality, hoping for observables to correlate with
>     reality is not justified.
> 
>     Mark
> 
> 
>>
>>     On Thu, Jan 20, 2011 at 3:51 PM, Dallas Warren
>>     <Dallas.Warren at monash.edu <mailto:Dallas.Warren at monash.edu>> wrote:
>>
>>         Then something you have said isn’t right.  In first email you
>>         said that the pressure varies between -400 and +400 bar.  Now
>>         you say that the average can vary from -1000 to +1000 bar.  If
>>         the instantaneous pressure is varying from -1000 to +1000 bar,
>>         then that is not a real issue.  However, if the average can be
>>         from -1000 to +1000 bar, then that definitely is.
>>
>>
>>         Which one is it?
>>
>>          
>>
>>         Catch ya,
>>
>>         Dr. Dallas Warren
>>
>>         Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Action
>>
>>         Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University
>>         381 Royal Parade, Parkville VIC 3010
>>         dallas.warren at monash.edu <mailto:dallas.warren at monash.edu>
>>
>>         +61 3 9903 9304
>>         ---------------------------------
>>         When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins
>>         to resemble a nail.
>>
>>          
>>
>>         *From:* gmx-users-bounces at gromacs.org
>>         <mailto:gmx-users-bounces at gromacs.org>
>>         [mailto:gmx-users-bounces at gromacs.org
>>         <mailto:gmx-users-bounces at gromacs.org>] *On Behalf Of *Denny Frost
>>         *Sent:* Friday, 21 January 2011 9:23 AM
>>         *To:* Discussion list for GROMACS users
>>         *Subject:* Re: [gmx-users] Inaccurate pressure readings
>>
>>          
>>
>>         The average I calculate is not within -10 to 10, it is on the
>>         order of -1000 to 1000
>>
>>         On Thu, Jan 20, 2011 at 3:11 PM, Dallas Warren
>>         <Dallas.Warren at monash.edu <mailto:Dallas.Warren at monash.edu>>
>>         wrote:
>>
>>         You have a variable that is fluctuating over a range of 800+
>>         units (three orders of magnitude) and want the average to be 1.0?
>>
>>          
>>
>>         It is not a problem as such.  If you can get a large enough
>>         data set of pressure data, and it will have to be very large,
>>         then you might get it close to one.
>>
>>          
>>
>>         But as long the average you calculate is within may be an
>>         order of magnitude (-10 to 10) then there is nothing to get
>>         too worried about.
>>
>>          
>>
>>         Catch ya,
>>
>>         Dr. Dallas Warren
>>
>>         Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Action
>>
>>         Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University
>>         381 Royal Parade, Parkville VIC 3010
>>         dallas.warren at monash.edu <mailto:dallas.warren at monash.edu>
>>
>>         +61 3 9903 9304
>>         ---------------------------------
>>         When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins
>>         to resemble a nail.
>>
>>          
>>
>>         *From:* gmx-users-bounces at gromacs.org
>>         <mailto:gmx-users-bounces at gromacs.org>
>>         [mailto:gmx-users-bounces at gromacs.org
>>         <mailto:gmx-users-bounces at gromacs.org>] *On Behalf Of *Denny Frost
>>         *Sent:* Friday, 21 January 2011 9:07 AM
>>         *To:* gmx-users at gromacs.org <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org>
>>         *Subject:* [gmx-users] Inaccurate pressure readings
>>
>>          
>>
>>         I am running a variety of NPT simulations with polar,
>>         non-polar, and ionic compounds.  Although my results for
>>         density agree well with experimental values, the pressures I
>>         get from g_energy are off by 1 to 3 orders of magnitude.  In
>>         the log file, the pressure fluctuates around a lot from -400
>>         to 400 bar, which seems to be normal according to other posts
>>         on this list, but the average (which is what g_energy gives
>>         me) is not 1.0 bar, as I specified.  Does anyone know how to
>>         correct this problem?
>>
>>          
>>
>>         Pressure coupling parameters:
>>
>>         Pcoupl              =  berendsen
>>
>>         pcoupltype          =  isotropic
>>
>>         tau_p                   =  1.0
>>
>>         ref_p                   =  1.0
>>
>>         compressibility     =  4.5e-5
>>
>>
>>         --
>>
>>
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>>
>>
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> 
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-- 
========================================

Justin A. Lemkul
Ph.D. Candidate
ICTAS Doctoral Scholar
MILES-IGERT Trainee
Department of Biochemistry
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
jalemkul[at]vt.edu | (540) 231-9080
http://www.bevanlab.biochem.vt.edu/Pages/Personal/justin

========================================



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