Classical time-dependent approaches initio dynamics

An alternative route is based on time-dependent approaches, where the standard statistical mechanics formalism relies on Fourier transform of the time correlation of vibrational operators [54—57]. These approaches can provide a complete description of the experimental spectrum, that is, the characterization of the real molecular motion consisting of many degrees of freedom activated at finite temperature, often strongly coupled and anharmonic in namre. However, computation of the exact quantum dynamics evolution of the nuclei on the ab initio potential surface is as prohibitive as the quantum/stationary-state approaches. In fact, even a semiclassical description of the time evolution of quanmm systems is usually computationally expensive. Therefore, time correlation methods for realistic systems are usually carried out by sampling of the nuclear motion in the classical phase space. In this context, summation over i in Eq. 11.1 is a classical ensemble average furthermore, the field unit vector e can be averaged over all directions of an isotropic fluid, leading to the well-known expression... 

Electronic structure calculations of the type described above, provide the energy and related properties of the system at the absolute zero of temperature and do not account for any time-dependent effect. In some cases, temperature and/or time scale effects may be important and must be included. The appropriate theoretical approach is then molecular dynamics (MD) either in the classical or ab initio implementations. In the first approach, Newton s motion equations are solved in the field of a potential provided externally, which constitutes the main limitation of this approach. To overcome this problem, ab initio Molecular Dynamics (AIMD)94,95 solves Newton s motion equations using the ab initio potential energy surface or propagating nuclei and electrons simultaneously as in the Car-Parrinello simulation.96 The use of AIMD simulations will increase considerably in the future. In a way they furnish all the information as in classical MD, but there are no assumptions in the way the system interacts since the potential energy surface is obtained in a rather crude manner. 

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