Title: COMPARISON OF SIMULATION METHODS FOR CHARGED SYSTEMS OF SLAB GEOMETRY
Author(s): M.Mazars, J.-M.Caillol, J.-J.Weis, D.Levesque (Laboratoire de Physique Th{\'e}orique, UMR 8627, B{\^a}t. 210, Universit{\'e} de Paris-Sud 91405 Orsay Cedex, France)

Using the specific model of a system of like charged ions confined between two planar like charged surfaces, we compare the predictions for the energy and density profile of four simulation methods available to treat the long range Coulomb interactions in systems periodic in two directions but bound in the third one. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate unambiguously complete agreement between the results obtained with these methods where the potential between charges is solution of Poisson's equation in the simulation cell with adequate boundary conditions. The practical advantages of the different methods are assessed.

Key words: simulations, Monte Carlo, Coulomb interaction, colloids
PACS: 61.20.Ja, 68.15.+e, 82.70.-Dd