Computation of the properties of liquid neon, methane, and gas helium at low temperature by the Feynman-Hibbs approach

The properties of liquid methane, liquid neon, and gas helium are calculated at low temperatures over a large range of pressure from the classical molecular-dynamics simulations. The molecular interactions are represented by the Lennard-Jones pair potentials supplemented by quantum corrections following the Feynman-Hibbs approach. The equations of state, diffusion, and shear viscosity coefficients are determined for neon at 45 K, helium at 80 K, and methane at 110 K. A comparison is made with the existing experimental data and for thermodynamical quantities, with results computed from quantum numerical simulations when they are available. The theoretical variation of the viscosity coefficient with pressure is in good agreement with the experimental data when the quantum corrections are taken into account, thus reducing considerably the 60% discrepancy between the simulations and experiments in the absence of these corrections.