# pair_write command

## Syntax

``` LAMMPS
pair_write itype jtype N style inner outer file keyword Qi Qj
```

-   itype,jtype = 2 atom types
-   N = \# of values
-   style = *r* or *rsq* or *bitmap*
-   inner,outer = inner and outer cutoff (distance units)
-   file = name of file to write values to
-   keyword = section name in file for this set of tabulated values
-   Qi,Qj = 2 atom charges (charge units) (optional)

## Examples

``` LAMMPS
pair_write 1 3 500 r 1.0 10.0 table.txt LJ
pair_write 1 1 1000 rsq 2.0 8.0 table.txt Yukawa_1_1 -0.5 0.5
```

## Description

Write energy and force values to a file as a function of distance for
the currently defined pair potential. This is useful for plotting the
potential function or otherwise debugging its values. If the file
already exists, the table of values is appended to the end of the file
to allow multiple tables of energy and force to be included in one file.
In case a new file is created, the first line will be a comment
containing a \"DATE:\" and \"UNITS:\" tag with the current date and the
current [units](units) setting as argument. For subsequent invocations
of the pair_write command, the current units setting is compared against
the entry in the file, if present, and pair_write will refuse to add a
table if the units are not the same.

The energy and force values are computed at distances from inner to
outer for 2 interacting atoms of type itype and jtype, using the
appropriate [pair_coeff](pair_coeff) coefficients. If the style is *r*,
then N distances are used, evenly spaced in r; if the style is *rsq*, N
distances are used, evenly spaced in r\^2.

For example, for N = 7, style = *r*, inner = 1.0, and outer = 4.0,
values are computed at r = 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0.

If the style is *bitmap*, then 2\^N values are written to the file in a
format and order consistent with how they are read in by the
[pair_coeff](pair_coeff) command for pair style *table*. For reasonable
accuracy in a bitmapped table, choose N \>= 12, an *inner* value that is
smaller than the distance of closest approach of 2 atoms, and an *outer*
value \<= cutoff of the potential.

If the pair potential is computed between charged atoms, the charges of
the pair of interacting atoms can optionally be specified. If not
specified, values of Qi = Qj = 1.0 are used.

The file is written in the format used as input for the
[pair_style](pair_style) *table* option with *keyword* as the section
name. Each line written to the file lists an index number (1-N), a
distance (in distance units), an energy (in energy units), and a force
(in force units).

## Restrictions

All force field coefficients for pair and other kinds of interactions
must be set before this command can be invoked.

Due to how the pairwise force is computed, an inner value \> 0.0 must be
specified even if the potential has a finite value at r = 0.0.

The *pair_write* command can only be used for pairwise additive
interactions for which a [Pair::single()]{.title-ref} function can be
and has been implemented. This excludes for example manybody potentials
or TIP4P coulomb styles.

## Related commands

[pair_style table](pair_table), [pair_style](pair_style),
[pair_coeff](pair_coeff)

## Default

none