Radial distribution function

In computational mechanics and statistical mechanics, a radial distribution function (RDF), g(r), describes how the density of surrounding matter varies as a function of the distance from a distinguished point.

Suppose, for example, that we choose a molecule at some point O in the volume. What is then the average density at some point P at a distance r away from O? If ${\displaystyle \rho =N/V}$ is the average density, then the mean density at P given that there is a molecule at O would differ from ρ by some factor g(r). One could say that the radial distribution function takes into account the correlations in the distribution of molecules arising from the forces they exert on each other:

(mean local density at distance r from O) = ${\displaystyle \rho }$g(r) (1)

As long as the gas is dilute the correlations in the positions of the molecules that g(r) takes into account are due to the potential ${\displaystyle \phi }$(r) that a molecule at P feels owing to the presence of a molecule at O. Using the Boltzmann distribution law:

${\displaystyle g(r)=e^{-\phi (r)/kT}}$ (2)

If ${\displaystyle \phi (r)}$ would be zero for all r - i.e. if the molecules did not exert any influence on each other g(r) = 1 for all r. Then from (1) the mean local density would be equal to the mean density ${\displaystyle \rho }$: the presence of a molecule at O would not influence the presence or absence of any other molecule and the gas would be ideal. As long as there is a ${\displaystyle \phi (r)}$ the mean local density will always be different from the mean density ${\displaystyle \rho }$ due to the interactions between molecules.

When the density of the gas gets higher the so called low-density limit (2) is not applicable anymore due to the fact that the molecules attracted to and reppeled by the molecule at O also reppel and attract each other. The correction terms needed to correctly describe g(r) resemble the virial equation, it is an expansion in the density:

${\displaystyle g(r)=e^{-\phi (r)/kT}+\rho g_{1}(r)+\rho ^{2}g_{2}(r)+\ldots }$ (3)

in which additional functions ${\displaystyle g_{1}(r),\,g_{2}(r)}$ appear which may depend on temperature ${\displaystyle T}$ and distance ${\displaystyle r}$ but not on density, ${\displaystyle \rho }$.

Given a potential energy function, the radial distribution function can be found via computer simulation methods like the Mote Carlo method. It could also be calculated numerically using rigourous methods obtained from statistical mechanics like the Perckus-Yevick approximation.

Importance of g(r)

g(r) is of fundamental importance in thermodynamics for macroscopic thermodynamic quantities can be calculated using g(r). A few examples:

The virial equation for the pressure: ${\displaystyle p=\rho kT-{\frac {2\pi }{3}}\rho ^{2}\int drr^{3}u^{\prime }(r)/kTg(r,\rho ,T)}$ 

The energy equation: ${\displaystyle {\frac {E}{NkT}}={\frac {3}{2}}+{\frac {\rho }{2kT}}\int dr\,4\pi r^{2}u(r)g(r,\rho ,T)}$ 

The compressibility equation: ${\displaystyle kT\left({\frac {\partial \rho }{\partial p}}\right)=1+\rho \int dr[g(r)-1]}$ 

References

1. D.A. McQuarrie, Statistical Mechanics (Harper Collins Publishers) 1976

External links

• http://www.ccr.buffalo.edu/etomica/app/modules/sites/Ljmd/Background1.html