Molecular Dynamics

Molecular Dynamics (MD) is a computational technique that simulates the motion of atoms and molecules by solving Newton's equations of motion under specified forces. Pioneered by Alder and Wainwright in 1957, MD integrates time-dependent atomic trajectories from initial positions, allowing prediction of material properties, phase transitions, and dynamic behavior. It bridges the gap between quantum mechanics (which determines interatomic forces) and macroscopic phenomena (accessible only through experiment), enabling study of timescales from femtoseconds to microseconds and length scales from angstroms to hundreds of nanometers.