The flexibility of SIMPSON and SIMMOL for numerical simulations in solid- and liquid-state NMR spectroscopy

Addressing the need for numerical simulations in the design and interpretation of advanced solid- and liquid-state NMR experiments, we present a number of novel features for numerical simulations based on the SIMPSON and SIMMOL open source software packages. Major attention is devoted to the flexibility of these Tcl-interfaced programs for numerical simulation of NMR experiments being complicated by demands for efficient powder averaging, large spin systems, and multiple-pulse rf irradiation. These features are exemplified by fast simulation of second-order quadrupolar powder patterns using crystallite interpolation, analysis of rotary resonance triple-quantum excitation for quadrupolar nuclei, iterative fitting of MQ-MAS spectra by combination of SIMPSON and MINUIT, simulation of multiple-dimensional PISEMA-type correlation experiments for macroscopically oriented membrane proteins, simulation of Hartman-Hahn polarization transfers in liquid-state NMR, and visualization of the spin evolution under complex composite broad-band excitation pulses.