| ## g_rdf Main Table of Contents | VERSION 3.2.0 Sun 25 Jan 2004

### Description

The structure of liquids can be studied by either neutron or X-ray scattering. The most common way to describe liquid structure is by a radial distribution function. However, this is not easy to obtain from a scattering experiment.

g_rdf calculates radial distribution functions in different ways. The normal method is around a (set of) particle(s), the other method is around the center of mass of a set of particles.

If a run input file is supplied (`-s`), exclusions defined in that file are taken into account when calculating the rdf. The option `-cut` is meant as an alternative way to avoid intramolecular peaks in the rdf plot. It is however better to supply a run input file with a higher number of exclusions. For eg. benzene a topology with nrexcl set to 5 would eliminate all intramolecular contributions to the rdf. Note that all atoms in the selected groups are used, also the ones that don't have Lennard-Jones interactions.

Option `-cn` produces the cumulative number rdf.

To bridge the gap between theory and experiment structure factors can be computed (option `-sq`). The algorithm uses FFT, the gridspacing of which is determined by option `-grid`.

### Files

option | filename | type | description
--- | --- | --- | ---
`-f` | `traj.xtc` | Input | Generic trajectory: xtc trr trj gro g96 pdb
`-s` | `topol.tpr` | Input, Opt. | Structure+mass(db): tpr tpb tpa gro g96 pdb xml
`-n` | `index.ndx` | Input, Opt. | Index file
`-o` | `rdf.xvg` | Output, Opt. | xvgr/xmgr file
`-sq` | `sq.xvg` | Output, Opt. | xvgr/xmgr file
`-cn` | `rdf_cn.xvg` | Output, Opt. | xvgr/xmgr file
`-hq` | `hq.xvg` | Output, Opt. | xvgr/xmgr file

### Other options

option | type | default | description
--- | --- | --- | ---
`-[no]h` | bool | `no` | Print help info and quit
`-nice` | int | `19` | Set the nicelevel
`-b` | time | `-1` | First frame (ps) to read from trajectory
`-e` | time | `-1` | Last frame (ps) to read from trajectory
`-dt` | time | `-1` | Only use frame when t MOD dt = first time (ps)
`-[no]w` | bool | `no` | View output xvg, xpm, eps and pdb files
`-bin` | real | `0.001` | Binwidth (nm)
`-[no]com` | bool | `no` | RDF with respect to the center of mass of first group
`-cut` | real | `0` | Shortest distance (nm) to be considered
`-fade` | real | `0` | From this distance onwards the RDF is tranformed by g'(r) = 1 + [g(r)-1] exp(-(r/fade-1)^2 to make it go to 1 smoothly. If fade is 0.0 nothing is done.
`-nlevel` | int | `20` | Number of different colors in the diffraction image
`-startq` | real | `0` | Starting q (1/nm)
`-endq` | real | `60` | Ending q (1/nm)
`-energy` | real | `12` | Energy of the incoming X-ray (keV)

http://www.gromacs.org
gromacs@gromacs.org