[gmx-users] Inaccurate pressure readings

Denny Frost dsfrost at cableone.net
Tue Feb 1 22:31:21 CET 2011


Here is the mdp file

title               =  HEX
cpp                 =  /lib/cpp
constraints         =  hbonds
integrator          =  md
dt                  =  0.002   ; ps !
nsteps              =  2500000   ; total 5ns.
nstcomm             =  10
nstxout             =  50000
nstvout             =  50000
nstfout             =  0
nstlog              =  5000
nstenergy           =  5000
nstxtcout           =  25000
nstlist             =  10
ns_type             =  grid
pbc                 =  xyz
coulombtype         =  Cut-off
vdwtype             =  Cut-off
rlist               =  1.2
rcoulomb            =  1.2
rvdw                =  1.2
fourierspacing      =  0.12
pme_order           =  4
ewald_rtol          =  1e-5
; Berendsen temperature coupling is on in two groups
Tcoupl              =  v-rescale
tc_grps             =  HEX
tau_t               =  0.1
ref_t               =  300
nsttcouple          =  1
; Energy monitoring
energygrps          =  HEX
; Isotropic pressure coupling is now on
Pcoupl              =  berendsen
pcoupltype          =  isotropic
;pc-grps             =  BMI      PFF
tau_p               =  1.0
ref_p               =  1.0
compressibility     =  4.5e-5

; Generate velocites is off at 300 K.
gen_vel             =  yes
gen_temp            =  300.0
gen_seed            =  100000

This is the 'averages' section

" <=" =====  ######## #######  ==>
" <=" ===  A V E R A G E S  ====>
" <=" =  ############ ###  ======>
" St" atistics over 1 0000001 steps u sing 10000001 f rames
 Energies (kJ/mo l)
Bond Angle Ry ckaert-Bell. LJ (SR) Coulomb (SR)
4.57E+03 3.62E+03 3.34E+03 -2.08E+04 0.00E+00
Potential Kinetic En. Total Energy Temperature Pressure (bar)
-9.28E+03 1.63E+04 7.05E+03 3.00E+02 9.96E+02
 Box-X Box-Y Box-Z
5.47E+00 5.47E+00 5.47E+00
 Total Virial (k J/mol)
5.44E+02 -1.30E-01 8.27E-02
-1.30E-01 5.44E+02 3.46E-02
8.27E-02 3.46E-02 5.44E+02
 Pressure (bar)
9.96E+02 2.34E-02 -1.51E-02
2.34E-02 9.96E+02 -2.77E-02
-1.51E-02 -2.77E-02 9.96E+02
 Total Dipole (D )
0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00

I don't have an RMS section on my log file.
The final xvg file that comes from g_energy is much too long to post here,
but contains exactly what is in the log file.  The interactive output from
g_energy is, however, thus:

Pressure = 995.9 bar (error = 0.65 bar)

On Tue, Feb 1, 2011 at 1:49 PM, Justin A. Lemkul <jalemkul at vt.edu> wrote:

>
>
> 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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> --
> ========================================
>
> 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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