A machine learning potential for simulating infrared spectra of nanosilicate clusters.

Journal: The Journal of chemical physics
Published Date:

Abstract

The use of machine learning (ML) in chemical physics has enabled the construction of interatomic potentials having the accuracy of ab initio methods and a computational cost comparable to that of classical force fields. Training an ML model requires an efficient method for the generation of training data. Here, we apply an accurate and efficient protocol to collect training data for constructing a neural network-based ML interatomic potential for nanosilicate clusters. Initial training data are taken from normal modes and farthest point sampling. Later on, the set of training data is extended via an active learning strategy in which new data are identified by the disagreement between an ensemble of ML models. The whole process is further accelerated by parallel sampling over structures. We use the ML model to run molecular dynamics simulations of nanosilicate clusters with various sizes, from which infrared spectra with anharmonicity included can be extracted. Such spectroscopic data are needed for understanding the properties of silicate dust grains in the interstellar medium and in circumstellar environments.

Authors

  • Zeyuan Tang
    Center for Interstellar Catalysis, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark.
  • Stefan T Bromley
    Departament de Ciència de Materials i Química Física and Institut de Química Teòrica i Computatcional (IQTCUB), Universitat de Barcelona, c/Martí i Franquès 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
  • Bjørk Hammer
    Center for Interstellar Catalysis, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark.