  Molecular dynamics simulation methods are used to study the folding of
polymer chains into packed cubic states. The polymer model, based on a chain of
linked sites moving in the continuum, includes both excluded volume and
torsional interactions. Different native-state packing arrangements and chain
lengths are explored; the organization of the native state is found to affect
both the ability of the chain to fold successfully and the nature of the
folding pathway as the system is gradually cooled. An order parameter based on
contact counts is used to provide information about the folding process, with
contacts additionally classified according to criteria such as core and surface
sites or local and distant site pairs. Fully detailed contact maps and their
evolution are also examined.
