$$\renewcommand{\AA}{\text{Å}}$$

# pair_style command¶

## Syntax¶

pair_style style args

• style = one of the styles from the list below

• args = arguments used by a particular style

## Examples¶

pair_style lj/cut 2.5
pair_style eam/alloy
pair_style hybrid lj/charmm/coul/long 10.0 eam
pair_style table linear 1000
pair_style none


## Description¶

Set the formula(s) LAMMPS uses to compute pairwise interactions. In LAMMPS, pair potentials are defined between pairs of atoms that are within a cutoff distance and the set of active interactions typically changes over time. See the bond_style command to define potentials between pairs of bonded atoms, which typically remain in place for the duration of a simulation.

In LAMMPS, pairwise force fields encompass a variety of interactions, some of which include many-body effects, e.g. EAM, Stillinger-Weber, Tersoff, REBO potentials. They are still classified as “pairwise” potentials because the set of interacting atoms changes with time (unlike molecular bonds) and thus a neighbor list is used to find nearby interacting atoms.

Hybrid models where specified pairs of atom types interact via different pair potentials can be setup using the hybrid pair style.

The coefficients associated with a pair style are typically set for each pair of atom types, and are specified by the pair_coeff command or read from a file by the read_data or read_restart commands.

The pair_modify command sets options for mixing of type I-J interaction coefficients and adding energy offsets or tail corrections to Lennard-Jones potentials. Details on these options as they pertain to individual potentials are described on the doc page for the potential. Likewise, info on whether the potential information is stored in a restart file is listed on the potential doc page.

In the formulas listed for each pair style, E is the energy of a pairwise interaction between two atoms separated by a distance r. The force between the atoms is the negative derivative of this expression.

If the pair_style command has a cutoff argument, it sets global cutoffs for all pairs of atom types. The distance(s) can be smaller or larger than the dimensions of the simulation box.

In many cases, the global cutoff value can be overridden for a specific pair of atom types by the pair_coeff command.

If a new pair_style command is specified with a new style, all previous pair_coeff and pair_modify command settings are erased; those commands must be re-specified if necessary.

If a new pair_style command is specified with the same style, then only the global settings in that command are reset. Any previous doc:pair_coeff <pair_coeff> and pair_modify command settings are preserved. The only exception is that if the global cutoff in the pair_style command is changed, it will override the corresponding cutoff in any of the previous pair_modify commands.

Two pair styles which do not follow this rule are the pair_style table and hybrid commands. A new pair_style command for these styles will wipe out all previously specified pair_coeff and pair_modify settings, including for the sub-styles of the hybrid command.

Here is an alphabetic list of pair styles defined in LAMMPS. They are also listed in more compact form on the Commands pair doc page.

Click on the style to display the formula it computes, any additional arguments specified in the pair_style command, and coefficients specified by the associated pair_coeff command.

There are also additional accelerated pair styles included in the LAMMPS distribution for faster performance on CPUs, GPUs, and KNLs. The individual style names on the Commands pair doc page are followed by one or more of (g,i,k,o,t) to indicate which accelerated styles exist.

## Restrictions¶

This command must be used before any coefficients are set by the pair_coeff, read_data, or read_restart commands.

Some pair styles are part of specific packages. They are only enabled if LAMMPS was built with that package. See the Build package page for more info. The doc pages for individual pair potentials tell if it is part of a package.

## Default¶

pair_style none