Dynamic force matching: Construction of dynamic coarse-grained models with realistic short time dynamics and accurate...

We recently developed a dynamic force matching technique for converting a coarse-grained (CG) model of a molecular system, with a CG potential energy function, into a dynamic CG model with realistic dynamics [A. Davtyan et al., J. Chem. Phys. 142, 154104 (2015)]. This is done by supplementing the model with additional degrees of freedom, called "fictitious particles." In that paper, we tested the method on CG models in which each molecule is coarse-grained into one CG point particle, with very satisfactory results. When the method was applied to a CG model of methanol that has two CG point particles per molecule, the results were encouraging but clearly required improvement. In this paper, we introduce a new type (called type-3) of fictitious particle that exerts forces on the center of mass of two CG sites. A CG model constructed using type-3 fictitious particles (as well as type-2 particles previously used) gives a much more satisfactory dynamic model for liquid methanol. In particular, we were able to construct a CG model that has the same self-diffusion coefficient and the same rotational relaxation time as an all-atom model of liquid methanol. Type-3 particles and generalizations of it are likely to be useful in converting more complicated CG models into dynamic CG models.