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A Comparison of the Predictive Capabilities of the Embedded-Atom Method and Modified Embedded-Atom Method Potentials for Lithium

Here, we compare six lithium potentials by examining their ability to predict coexistence properties and liquid structure using molecular dynamics. All potentials are of the embedded-atom-method (EAM) type. The coexistence properties we focus on are the melting curve, vapor pressure, saturated liquid density, and vapor-liquid surface tension. For each property studied, the simulation results are compared to available experimental data in order to properly assess the accuracy of each potential. We find that the Cui 2NN MEAM is the most robust potential, giving adequate agreement with most of the properties examined. For example, the zero-pressure melting point of this potential is shown to be around 443 K, while experimentally is it about 454 K. This potential also gives excellent agreement with saturated liquid densities, even though no liquid properties were used in the fitting procedure. Our study allows us to conclude that the Cui 2NN MEAM should be used for further simulations of lithiums.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Structural and dynamic properties of liquid tin from a new modified embedded-atom method force field

We developed a new modified embedded-atom method (MEAM) force field for liquid tin. Starting from the Ravelo and Baskes force field [Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 2482 (1997)], the parameters are adjusted using a simulated annealing optimization procedure in order to obtain better agreement with liquid-phase data. The predictive capabilities of the new model and the Ravelo and Baskes force field are evaluated using molecular dynamics by comparing to a wide range of first-principles and experimental data. The quantities studied include crystal properties (cohesive energy, bulk modulus, equilibrium density, and lattice constant of various crystal structures), melting temperature, liquid structure, liquid density, self-diffusivity, viscosity, and vapor-liquid surface tension. We show that although the Ravelo and Baskes force field generally gives better agreement with the properties related to the solid phases of tin, the new MEAM force field gives better agreement with liquid tin properties.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A Modified Embedded-Atom Method Potential for a Quaternary Fe-Cr-Si-Mo Solid Solution Alloy

Ferritic-martensitic steels, such as T91, are candidate materials for high-temperature applications, including superheaters, heat exchangers, and advanced nuclear reactors. Considering these alloys’ wide applications, an atomistic understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for their excellent mechano-chemical properties is crucial. Here, we developed a modified embedded-atom method (MEAM) potential for the Fe-Cr-Si-Mo quaternary alloy system—i.e., four major elements of T91—using a multi-objective optimization approach to fit thermomechanical properties reported using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental measurements. Elastic constants calculated using the proposed potential for binary interactions agreed well with ab initio calculations. Furthermore, the computed thermal expansion and self-diffusion coefficients employing this potential are in good agreement with other studies. This potential will offer insightful atomistic knowledge to design alloys for use in harsh environments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A modified Embedded-Atom Method interatomic potential for uranium-silicide

Uranium-silicide (U-Si) fuels are being pursued as a possible accident tolerant fuel (ATF). U-Si fuels benefit from higher thermal conductivity and higher fissile density compared to UO2. In order to perform engineering scale nuclear fuel performance simulations, the material properties of the fuel must be known. Currently, the experimental data available for U-Si fuels is rather limited. Thus, multiscale modeling efforts are underway to address this gap in knowledge. In this study, a semi-empirical Modified Embedded Atom Method (MEAM) potential is presented for the description of the U-Si system. The potential accurately describes not only the primary phase of interest (U3Si2), but also a variety of U-Si phases across the composition spectrum.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

A Modified Embedded-Atom Method Interatomic Potential for U-Si

Uranium-silicide (U-Si) fuels are being pursued as a possible accident tolerant fuel (ATF). This uranium alloy fuel benefits from higher thermal conductivity and higher fissile density compared to UO{sub 2}. In order to perform engineering scale nuclear fuel performance simulations, the material properties of the fuel must be known. Currently, the experimental data available for U-Si fuels is rather limited. Thus, multiscale modeling efforts are underway to address this gap in knowledge. In this study, a semiempirical modified Embedded Atom Method (MEAM) potential is presented for the description of the U-Si system. The potential accurately describes not only the primary phase of interest (U{sub 3}Si{sub 2}), but also a variety of U-Si phases across the composition spectrum.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Self-learning kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of Al diffusion in Mg

Atomistic on-lattice self-learning kinetic Monte Carlo (SLKMC) method was used to examine the vacancy-mediated diffusion of an Al atom in pure hcp Mg. Local atomic environment dependent activation barriers for vacancy-atom exchange processes were calculated on-the-fly using climbing image nudged-elastic band method (CI-NEB) and using a Mg-Al binary modified embedded-atom method (MEAM) interatomic potential. Diffusivities of vacancy and Al atom in pure Mg were obtained from SLKMC simulations and are compared with values available in the literature that are obtained from experiments and first-principle calculations. Al Diffusivities obtained from SLKMC simulations are lower, due to larger activation barriers and lower diffusivity prefactors, than those available in the literature but have same order of magnitude. We present all vacancy-Mg and vacancy-Al atom exchange processes and their activation barriers that were identified in SLKMC simulations. We will describe a simple mapping scheme to map a hcp lattice on to a simple cubic lattice that would enable hcp lattices to be simulated in an on-lattice KMC framework. We also present the pattern recognition scheme used in SLKMC simulations.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗

Molecular dynamics modeling of atomic displacement cascades in 3C-SiC: Comparison of interatomic potentials

We used molecular dynamics modeling of atomic displacement cascades to characterize the nature of primary radiation damage in 3C-SiC. We demonstrated that the most commonly used interatomic potentials are inconsistent with ab initio calculations of defect energetics. Both the Tersoff potential used in this work and a modified embedded-atom method potential reveal a barrier to recombination of the carbon interstitial and carbon vacancy which is much higher than the density functional theory (DFT) results. The barrier obtained with a newer potential by Gao and Weber is closer to the DFT result. This difference results in significant differences in the cascade production of point defects. We have completed both 10 keV and 50 keV cascade simulations in 3C-SiC at a range of temperatures. In contrast to the Tersoff potential, the Gao-Weber potential produces almost twice as many C vacancies and interstitials at the time of maximum disorder (~0.2 ps) but only about 25% more stable defects at the end of the simulation. Only about 20% of the carbon defects produced with the Tersoff potential recombine during the in-cascade annealing phase, while about 60% recombine with the Gao-Weber potential.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Atomistic Properties of Y Uranium

The properties of the body-centered cubic y phase of uranium (U) are calculated using atomistic simulations. First, a modified embedded-atom method interatomic potential is developed for the high temperature body-centered cubic (y) phase of U. This phase is stable only at high temperatures and is thus relatively inaccessible to first principles calculations and room temperature experiments. Using this potential, equilibrium volume and elastic constants are calculated at 0 K and found to be in close agreement with previous first principles calculations. Further, the melting point, heat capacity, enthalpy of fusion, thermal expansion and volume change upon melting are calculated and found to be in reasonable agreement with experiment. The low temperature mechanical instability of y U is correctly predicted and investigated as a function of pressure. The mechanical instability is suppressed at pressures greater than 17.2 GPa. The vacancy formation energy is analyzed as a function of pressure and shows a linear trend, allowing for the calculation of the extrapolated zero pressure vacancy formation energy. Finally, the self-defect formation energy is analyzed as a function of temperature. This is the first atomistic y calculation of U properties above 0 K with interatomic potentials.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Characterization of the liquid Li-solid Mo (1 1 0) interface from classical molecular dynamics for plasma-facing applications

An understanding of the wetting properties and a characterization of theinterface between liquid lithium (Li) and solid molybdenum (Mo) are relevant to assessing the efficacy of Li as a plasma-facing component in fusion reactors. Here, a new second-nearest neighbor modified embedded-atom method (2NN MEAM) force eld is parameterized to describe the interactions between Li and Mo. The new force eld reproduces several benchmark properties obtained from first-principles quantum mechanics simulations, including binding curves for Li at three different adsorption sites and the corresponding forces on Li atoms adsorbed on the Mo (110) surface. This force field is then used to study the wetting of liquid Li on the (110) surface of Mo and to examine the Li-Mo interface using molecular dynamics simulations. From droplet simulations, we nd that liquid Li tends to completely wet the perfect Mo (110) surface, in contradiction with previous experimental measurements that found non-zero contact angles for liquid Li on a Mo substrate. However, these experiments were not carried out under ultra-high vacuum conditions or with a perfect (110) Mo surface, suggesting that the presence of impurities, such as oxygen, and surface structure play a crucial role in this wetting process. From thin- lm simulations, it is observed that the first layer of Li on the Mo (110) surface has many solid-like properties such as a low mobility and a larger degree of ordering when compared to layers further away from the surface, even at temperatures well above the bulk melting temperature of Li. Our findings are consistent with temperature-programmed desorption experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Transferring predictions of formation energy across lattices of increasing size*

In this study, we show the transferability of graph convolutional neural network (GCNN) predictions of the formation energy of the nickel-platinum solid solution alloy across atomic structures of increasing sizes. The original dataset was generated with the large-scale atomic/molecular massively parallel simulator using the second nearest-neighbor modified embedded-atom method empirical interatomic potential. Geometry optimization was performed on the initially randomly generated face centered cubic crystal structures and the formation energy has been calculated at each step of the geometry optimization, with configurations spanning the whole compositional range. Using data from various steps of the geometry optimization, we first trained our open-source, scalable implementation of GCNN called HydraGNN on a lattice of 256 atoms, which accounts well for the short-range interactions. Using this data, we predicted the formation energy for lattices of 864 atoms and 2048 atoms, which resulted in lower-than-expected accuracy due to the long-range interactions present in these larger lattices. We accounted for the long-range interactions by including a small amount of training data representative for those two larger sizes, whereupon the predictions of HydraGNN scaled linearly with the size of the lattice. Therefore, our strategy ensured scalability while reducing significantly the computational cost of training on larger lattice sizes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

ORNL_AISD_NiPt

This dataset describes the nickel-platinum (NiPt) solid solution binary alloy, where the two constituent elements nickel (Ni) and platinum (Pt) are randomly placed on the face centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure, with the lattice constant of 3.840 angstroms. The dataset comprises data for three different sizes of the crystal structure: 256 atoms, 864 atoms, and 2,048 atoms, each of which contains 1900 configurations. For each size of the crystal structure, the data set was generated for concentrations ranging from 0at% of Pt to 100at% of Pt in the NiPt binary system, with increasing the concentration of Pt in the system every 5at%. For each one of the chemical compositions, 100 random configurations were generated, each with a different random seed. Each of the output files contains the mass, type, atomic coordinates, energy per atom, and forces in x, y, and z directions respectively. For each atomic configuration, the output was collected every 150 steps during the minimization stage and every 1000 steps during the replica exchange stage. Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS) [1], which is a molecular dynamics code, was used to generate data for NiPt alloy. The simulation used the interatomic potential for NiPt binary system MEAM_LAMMPS_KimSeolJi_2017_PtNi__MO_020840179467_001 [3] from the OpenKIM library (Open Knowledgebase of Interatomic Models) [2]. This potential was developed based on the second nearest-neighbor modified embedded-atom method (2NN MEAM). The simulation process begins with the generation of the random NiPt structure and follows with the short minimization and replica exchange simulation. The minimization procedure adjusts atomic coordinates and performs energy minimization, which typically leads to a local potential energy minimum. The method used for the minimization was the conjugate gradient algorithm. A short replica exchange (parallel tempering) simulation involves four replicas (ensembles) of a system and follows the minimization stage. Multiple snapshots of the configuration were collected during the minimization and replica exchange stages. NiPt alloy is interesting due to its magnetic and charge transfer properties [4]. The data is provided in three compressed zipped folders: atoms256.zip, atoms864.zip, atoms2048.zip Each zipped folder contains the data that describes crystals of size 256 atoms, 864 atoms, and 2,048 atoms respectively. Each one of the three zipped folders contains the data structured in the following way: -Ni_ground_state.cfg --> atomic configuration for the pure nickel -Pt_ground_state.cfg --> atomic configuration for the pure platinum -Pt#_filtered --> folders containing atomic configurations for #at% concentration of platinum. The folder contains 100 atomic configurations, each saved in a subfolder. Each subfolder named config* is associated with a specific atomic configuration. Each of these subfolders contains files with .cfg format, corresponding to outputs for each atomic configuration The total number of atomic configurations contained in atoms256.zip is 65,046. The total number of atomic configurations contained in atoms864.zip is 63,936. The total number of atomic configurations contained in atoms2048.zip is 61,997. The total number of atomic configurations spanned by the entire dataset is 190,979. References [1] https://www.lammps.org/ [2] https://openkim.org/ [3] https://openkim.org/id/MEAM_LAMMPS_KimSeolJi_2017_PtNi__MO_020840179467_001 [4] El-Gendy, Ahmed A. and Hampel, Silke and Büccchner, Bernd and Klingeler, Rüdiger, Tuneable magnetic properties of carbon-shielded NiPt-nanoalloys, RSC Adv., volume 6, issue 57, pages 52427-52433, 2016, The Royal Society of Chemistry, doi:10.1039/C6RA05910D

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

ORNL_AISD_NiPt_108atoms

This dataset describes the nickel-platinum (NiPt) solid solution binary alloy, where the two constituent elements nickel (Ni) and platinum (Pt) are randomly placed on the face centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure, with the lattice constant of 3.840 angstroms. The dataset comprises data for crystal structures with 108 atoms with 1,900 configurations. The data set was generated for concentrations ranging from 0at% of Pt to 100at% of Pt in the NiPt binary system, with increasing the concentration of Pt in the system every 5at%. For each one of the chemical compositions, 100 random configurations were generated, each with a different random seed. Each of the output files contains the mass, type, atomic coordinates, energy per atom, and forces in x, y, and z directions respectively. For each atomic configuration, the output was collected every 150 steps during the minimization stage and every 1000 steps during the replica exchange stage. Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS) [1], which is a molecular dynamics code, was used to generate data for NiPt alloy. The simulation used the interatomic potential for NiPt binary system 'MEAM_LAMMPS_KimSeolJi_2017_PtNi__MO_020840179467_001' [3] from the OpenKIM library (Open Knowledgebase of Interatomic Models) [2]. This potential was developed based on the second nearest-neighbor modified embedded-atom method (2NN MEAM). The simulation process begins with the generation of the random NiPt structure and follows with the short minimization and replica exchange simulation. The minimization procedure adjusts atomic coordinates and performs energy minimization, which typically leads to a local potential energy minimum. The method used for the minimization was the conjugate gradient algorithm. A short replica exchange (parallel tempering) simulation involves four replicas (ensembles) of a system and follows the minimization stage. Multiple snapshots of the configuration were collected during the minimization and replica exchange stages. NiPt alloy is interesting due to its magnetic and charge transfer properties [4]. The data is provided in a compressed zipped folders atoms108.zip. The zipped folder contains the data structured in the following way: - Ni_ground_state.cfg --> atomic configuration for the pure nickel - Pt_ground_state.cfg --> atomic configuration for the pure platinum - Pt#_filtered --> folders containing atomic configurations for #at% concentration of platinum. The folder contains 100 atomic configurations, each saved in a subfolder - Each subfolder named config* is associated with a specific atomic configuration. Each of these subfolders contains files with .cfg format, corresponding to outputs for each atomic configuration The total number of atomic configurations contained in atoms108.zip is 66,132. This dataset is an extension to the dataset ORNL_AISD_NiPt [5] that has been previously released with crystal structures of 256 atoms, 864 atoms, and 2,048 atoms, with the same methodology for data collection. References [1] https://www.lammps.org/ [2] https://openkim.org/ [3] https://openkim.org/id/MEAM_LAMMPS_KimSeolJi_2017_PtNi__MO_020840179467_001 [4] El-Gendy, Ahmed A. and Hampel, Silke and Büchner, Bernd and Klingeler, Rüdiger, Tuneable magnetic properties of carbon-shielded NiPt-nanoalloys, RSC Adv., volume 6, issue 57, pages 52427-52433, 2016, The Royal Society of Chemistry, doi:10.1039/C6RA05910D [5] M. Karabin, M. Lupo Pasini, and M. Eisenbach. ORNL_AISD_NiPt. United States: N. p., 2023. Web. doi:10.13139/OLCF/1958172.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Accurate classical short-range forces for the study of collision cascades in Fe–Ni–Cr

The predictive power of a classical molecular dynamics simulation is largely determined by the physical validity of its underlying empirical potential. In the case of high-energy collision cascades, it was recently shown that correctly modeling interactions at short distances is necessary to accurately predict primary damage production. An ab initio based framework is introduced for modifying an existing embedded-atom method FeNiCr potential to handle these short-range interactions. Density functional theory is used to calculate the energetics of two atoms approaching each other, embedded in the alloy, and to calculate the equation of state of the alloy as it is compressed. The pairwise terms and the embedding terms of the potential are modi ed in accordance with the ab initio results. Using this reparametrized potential, collision cascades are performed in Ni 50 Fe 50 , Ni 80 Cr 20 and Ni 33 Fe 33 Cr 33 . The simulations reveal that alloying Ni and NiCr to Fe reduces primary damage production, in agreement with some previous calculations. Alloying Ni and NiFe to Cr does not reduce primary damage production, in contradiction with previous calculations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A modified Stillinger-Weber potential for TlBr and its polymorphic extension

TlBr is promising for g- and x- radiation detection, but suffers from rapid performance degradation under the operating external electric fields. To enable molecular dynamics (MD) studies of this degradation, we have developed a Stillinger-Weber type of TlBr interatomic potential. During this process, we have also addressed two problems of wider interests. First, the conventional Stillinger-Weber potential format is only applicable for tetrahedral structures (e.g., diamond-cubic, zinc-blende, or wurtzite). Here we have modified the analytical functions of the Stillinger-Weber potential so that it can now be used for other crystal structures. Second, past modifications of interatomic potentials cannot always be applied by a broad community because any new analytical functions of the potential would require corresponding changes in the molecular dynamics codes. Here we have developed a polymorphic potential model that simultaneously incorporates Stillinger-Weber, Tersoff, embedded-atom method, and any variations (i.e., modified functions) of these potentials. As a result, we have implemented this polymorphic model in MD code LAMMPS, and demonstrated that our TlBr potential enables stable MD simulations under external electric fields.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Anomalous properties and the liquid-liquid phase transition in gallium

A group of materials including water and silicon exhibit many anomalous behaviors, e.g., density anomaly and diffusivity anomaly (increase upon compression). These materials are hypothesized to have a liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT) and the critical fluctuation in the vicinity of the liquid-liquid critical point is considered as the origin of different anomalies. Liquid gallium was also reported to have a LLPT, yet whether it shows similar water-like anomalies is not yet studied. Using molecular dynamics simulations on a modified embedded-atom model, we study the thermodynamic, dynamic, and structural properties of liquid gallium as well as its LLPT. We find that, similar to water-like materials predicted to have the LLPT, gallium also shows different anomalous behaviors (e.g., density anomaly, diffusivity anomaly, and structural anomaly). We also find that its thermodynamic and structural response functions are continuous and show maxima in the supercritical region, the loci of which asymptotically approach to the other and merge to the Widom line. These phenomena are consistent with the supercritical phenomenon in a category of materials with a liquid-liquid critical point, which could be common features in most materials with a LLPT.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Revisiting dynamics near a liquid-liquid phase transition in Si and Ga: The fragile-to-strong transition

Using molecular dynamics simulations we analyze the dynamics of two atomic liquids that display a liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT): Si described by the Stillinger-Weber potential and Ga as modeled by the modified embedded-atom model. In particular, our objective is to investigate the extent to which the presence of a dip in the self-intermediate scattering function is a manifestation of an excess of vibrational states at low frequencies and may be associated with a fragile-to-strong transition (FTST) across the LLPT, as suggested recently. Our results suggest a somewhat different picture. First, in the case of Ga we observe the appearance of an excess of vibrational states at low frequencies, even in the absence of the appearance of a dip in the self-intermediate scattering function across the LLPT. Second, studying the behavior of the shear viscosities traversing the LLPTs we find that both substances are fragile in character above and below their respective LLPT temperatures. Instead of a FTST in an absolute sense these findings are more in line with a view in which the LLPTs are accompanied by a transition from a more fragile to a less fragile liquid. Furthermore, we do not find this transition to correlate with the presence of a dip in the intermediate scattering function.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗