"LAMMPS WWW Site"_lws - "LAMMPS Documentation"_ld - "LAMMPS Commands"_lc :c

:link(lws,http://lammps.sandia.gov)
:link(ld,Manual.html)
:link(lc,Section_commands.html#comm)

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displace_atoms command :h3

[Syntax:]

displace_atoms group-ID style args keyword value ... :pre

group-ID = ID of group of atoms to displace :ulb,l
style = {move} or {ramp} or {random} :l
  {move} args = delx dely delz
    delx,dely,delz = distance to displace in each dimension (distance units)
  {ramp} args = ddim dlo dhi dim clo chi
    ddim = {x} or {y} or {z}
    dlo,dhi = displacement distance between dlo and dhi (distance units)
    dim = {x} or {y} or {z}
    clo,chi = lower and upper bound of domain to displace (distance units)
  {random} args = dx dy dz seed
    dx,dy,dz = random displacement magnitude in each dimension (distance units)
    seed = random # seed (positive integer) :pre
zero or more keyword/value pairs may be appended :l
  keyword = {units}
    value = {box} or {lattice} :pre
:ule

[Examples:]

displace_atoms top move 0 -5 0 units box
displace_atoms flow ramp x 0.0 5.0 y 2.0 20.5 :pre

[Description:]

Displace a group of atoms.  This can be used to move atoms a large
distance before beginning a simulation or to randomize atoms initially
on a lattice.  For example, in a shear simulation, an initial strain
can be imposed on the system.  Or two groups of atoms can be brought
into closer proximity.

The {move} style displaces the group of atoms by the specified 3d
distance.

The {ramp} style displaces atoms a variable amount in one dimension
depending on the atom's coordinate in a (possibly) different
dimension.  For example, the second example command displaces atoms in
the x-direction an amount between 0.0 and 5.0 distance units.  Each
atom's displacement depends on the fractional distance its y
coordinate is between 2.0 and 20.5.  Atoms with y-coordinates outside
those bounds will be moved the minimum (0.0) or maximum (5.0) amount.

The {random} style independently moves each atom in the group by a
random displacement, uniformly sampled from a value between -dx and
+dx in the x dimension, and similarly for y and z.  Random numbers are
used in such a way that the displacement of a particular atom is the
same, regardless of how many processors are being used.

Distance units for displacement are determined by the setting of {box}
or {lattice} for the {units} keyword.  {Box} means distance units as
defined by the "units"_units.html command - e.g. Angstroms for {real}
units.  {Lattice} means distance units are in lattice spacings.  The
"lattice"_lattice.html command must have been previously used to
define the lattice spacing.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: Care should be taken not to move atoms on top of other
atoms.  After the move, atoms are remapped into the periodic
simulation box if needed, and any shrink-wrap boundary conditions (see
the "boundary"_boundary.html command) are enforced which may change
the box size.  Other than this effect, this command does not change
the size or shape of the simulation box.  See the
"change_box"_change_box.html command if that effect is desired.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Atoms can be moved arbitrarily long distances by this
command.  If the simulation box is non-periodic and shrink-wrapped
(see the "boundary"_boundary.html command), this can change its size
or shape.  This is not a problem, except that the mapping of
processors to the simulation box is not changed by this command from
its initial 3d configuration; see the "processors"_processors.html
command.  Thus, if the box size/shape changes dramatically, the
mapping of processors to the simulation box may not end up as optimal
as the initial mapping attempted to be.

[Restrictions:] none

[Related commands:]

"lattice"_lattice.html, "change_box"_change_box.html

[Default:]

The option defaults are units = lattice.
