I am running a multiple walker awh simulation on a 1-D reaction coordinate. Upon comparing the PMFs at different times the PMF is converged. I also checked that the coordinate distribution ≈ reference target distribution and the reference target distribution ≈ target distribution. The target distribution was chosen to be uniform. Based on these observations I considered the PMF to be converged. However, the simulation never exited the initial stage. There were several coverings but never exited the initial stage. Can we still have a reliable PMF if the convergence criteria is satisfied but never exited the initial stage of AWH?
I am now wondering if it could be that you chose some AWH parameter sub-optimal such that your sampling is actually converged, but it is not detected. Could you post you AWH and pull parameters?