Design and Implementation of pyPRISM: A Polymer Liquid-State Theory Framework

In this work, we describe the code structure, implementation, and usage of a Python-based, open-source framework, pyPRISM, for conducting polymer liquid-state theory calculations. Polymer Reference Interaction Site Model (PRISM) theory describes the equilibrium spatial-correlations, thermodynamics, and structure of liquid-like polymer systems and macromolecular materials. pyPRISM provides data structures, functions, and classes that streamline predictive PRISM calculations and can be extended for other tasks such as the coarse-graining of atomistic simulation force-fields or the modeling of experimental scattering data. The goal of providing this framework is to reduce the barrier to correctly and appropriately using PRISM theory and to provide a platform for rapid calculations of the structure and thermodynamics of polymeric fluids and polymer nanocomposites.