OpenMD is a molecular dynamics engine for simulating liquids, proteins, nanoparticles, interfaces and other complex systems. It is particularly well suited to models containing particles with orientational degrees of freedom, including point dipoles, coarse-grained assemblies and anisotropic interaction sites.
Simulations are described using OpenMD’s compact metadata language together with initial coordinate and velocity information. The package is aimed at computational research rather than interactive modelling, combining the simulation engine with analysis and conversion utilities for examining the trajectories and properties generated by a run.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Performs classical molecular dynamics simulations for molecular, condensed-matter and materials systems.
- Supports particles with translational and orientational degrees of freedom.
- Models rigid bodies, point dipoles, sticky atoms and coarse-grained assemblies.
- Includes force fields suitable for systems such as proteins, lipids, zeolites and transition metals.
- Provides multiple statistical-mechanical ensembles and energy minimisation methods.
- Supports periodic simulation cells and common non-bonded interaction models.
- Offers electrostatic calculations and specialised treatments for polar and charged systems.
- Runs in parallel using the Message Passing Interface.
- Includes analysis programs for structural, dynamical and thermodynamic properties.
- Provides utilities for converting and processing simulation data.
- Uses a human-readable metadata format to define force fields, components, ensembles and simulation parameters.
- Can be extended and modified for specialised molecular simulation research.
- Force fields can define charges, Lennard-Jones parameters, dipole moments, masses and moments of inertia.
- Includes configurable thermostats, barostats and integration schemes for controlling different simulation ensembles.
Website: github.com/OpenMD/OpenMD
Support:
Developer: OpenMD developers
License: BSD 3-Clause “New” or “Revised” License
OpenMD is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Chemistry Tools | |
|---|---|
| GROMACS | Versatile package to perform molecular dynamics |
| tomviz | Process, visualize, and analyze 3D tomographic data |
| Psi4 | Ab initio quantum chemistry software |
| NWChem | Ab initio computational chemistry software package |
| PyMOL | OpenGL molecular graphics system written in Python |
| LAMMPS | Classical molecular dynamics simulator |
| CP2K | Atomistic simulations of solid state, liquid, molecular and biological systems |
| RDKit | Cheminformatics and machine-learning software |
| GAMESS | General ab initio quantum chemistry package |
| Avogadro | Advanced molecular editor |
| OpenMM | High-performance toolkit for molecular simulation |
| Gabedit | Graphical user interface to computational chemistry packages |
| Open Babel | Converts and manipulates chemical data files |
| Jmol | Viewer for three-dimensional chemical structures |
| pyscf | Quantum chemistry framework |
| Kalzium | Full-featured chemistry application for KDE 5 |
| Ketcher | Web-based chemical structure editor |
| XDrawChem | 2D editor for chemical structures and reactions |
| Cantera | Chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and transport tool suite |
| Orac | OpenMP/MPI molecular dynamics engine to simulate solvated biomolecules |
| JChemPaint | Chemical 2D structure editor |
| MPQC | Computes the properties of molecules, ab initio |
| Indigo | Universal cheminformatics toolkit for working with molecules and reactions |
| GPAW | Python package for density-functional theory calculations |
| DFTB+ | General package for performing fast atomistic calculations |
| BKChem | 2D molecule editor written in Python |
| MDynaMix | General purpose molecular dynamics |
| ChemCanvas | 2D chemical drawing tool |
| MoleQueue | Abstract, manage, and coordinate the execution of tasks |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
Explore our carefully curated directory of recommended free and open source software, covering every major software category.The directory forms part of our extensive collection of articles for Linux enthusiasts. It includes hundreds of detailed reviews, together with free and open source alternatives to proprietary software from companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. LinuxLinks also covers interesting projects worth exploring, Linux-compatible hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Know a useful free and open source Linux application that we haven’t covered? Tell us about it using our submission form. |


Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.