Grand canonical auxiliary field Monte Carlo: a new technique for simulating open systems at high density

The computation of open many-particle systems at high densities is a major challenge since many decades due to the inherent limitations of grand canonical simulation methods based on particle exchange algorithms. In this paper we report on the statistical convergence behavior in the high density regime of a recently developed alternative called the grand canonical auxiliary field Monte Carlo method. We show on a common soft matter model widely used in polymer simulation that it possesses a more appropriate statistical behavior in the dense regime than the currently employed grand canonical Monte Carlo methods relying on particle exchange algorithms. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.