# An introduction to classical molecular dynamics simulation for experimental scattering users

## TL;DR

This paper introduces an open educational resource to help scattering experiment users understand classical molecular dynamics simulations, emphasizing accessibility and practical application in data analysis.

## Contribution

It provides a freely accessible, interactive web-based educational tool and open source software to teach classical molecular dynamics to scattering users.

## Key findings

- Educational resource enhances understanding of molecular dynamics
- Open source tools facilitate learning and customization
- Improves integration of simulations in scattering data analysis

## Abstract

Classical molecular dynamics simulations are a common component of multi-modal analyses from scattering measurements, such as small-angle scattering and diffraction. Users of these experimental techniques often have no formal training in the theory and practice of molecular dynamics simulation, leading to the possibility of these simulations being treated as a "black box" analysis technique. In this article, we describe an open educational resource (OER) designed to introduce classical molecular dynamics to users of scattering methods. This resource is available as a series of interactive web pages, which can be easily accessed by students, and as an open source software repository, which can be freely copied, modified, and redistributed by educators. The topic covered in this OER includes classical atomistic modelling, parameterising interatomic potentials, molecular dynamics simulations, typical sources of error, and some of the approaches to using simulations in the analysis of scattering data.