SPPARKS Website - SPPARKS Documentation - SPPARKS Commands

pin command

Syntax:

pin fraction multiflag nthresh 

Examples:

pin 0.1 0 2 

Description:

This command converts sites on a lattice to pinned sites by setting their spin value to Q+1, where Q is defined by a Potts model. This command can only be used by the app_style potts/pin application. The size of the inclusions and their location (anywhere or preferentially near grain boundaries) can be controlled by the multiflag and nthresh parameters.

The way pinned sites are selected is as follows. A pinned site is chosen randomly. If the site is already a pinned site, then another site is selected. If multiflag is set to 1, then if any of the site's neighbors are already a pinned site, then another site is selected. If nthresh is a non-zero value, then the # of neighbor sites with spin values different than the chosen site are counted. If the count is less than nthresh, then another site is selected.

Once the site is selected, just that site is converted to a pinned site if multiflag is 0. If multiflag is 1, then the site plus all its neibhbors are converted to pinned sites.

This process continues until the desired fraction of changed sites is achieved. The entire process is done in a way that should be independent of the number of processors used to run a particular simulation.

Note that if you pick a large volume fraction and/or a high value for nthresh it is possible that SPPARKS will never find enough valid sites to convert to pinned sites. It will then loop endlessly.

Restrictions: none

This command can only be used as part of the app_style potts/pin and related applications.

Related commands:

app_style potts/pin

Default: none