diff --git a/jax_md/partition.py b/jax_md/partition.py
index ac27cf70..f1aca0e3 100644
--- a/jax_md/partition.py
+++ b/jax_md/partition.py
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ def _estimate_cell_capacity(position: Array,
   return int(cell_capacity * buffer_size_multiplier)
 
 
-def _shift_array(arr: Array, dindex: Array) -> Array:
+def shift_array(arr: Array, dindex: Array) -> Array:
   if len(dindex) == 2:
     dx, dy = dindex
     dz = 0
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ def _shift_array(arr: Array, dindex: Array) -> Array:
   return arr
 
 
-def _unflatten_cell_buffer(arr: Array,
+def unflatten_cell_buffer(arr: Array,
                            cells_per_side: Array,
                            dim: int) -> Array:
   if (isinstance(cells_per_side, int) or
@@ -380,14 +380,14 @@ def cell_list_fn(position: Array,
     cell_position = cell_position.at[sorted_cell_id].set(sorted_position)
     sorted_id = jnp.reshape(sorted_id, (N, 1))
     cell_id = cell_id.at[sorted_cell_id].set(sorted_id)
-    cell_position = _unflatten_cell_buffer(cell_position, cells_per_side, dim)
-    cell_id = _unflatten_cell_buffer(cell_id, cells_per_side, dim)
+    cell_position = unflatten_cell_buffer(cell_position, cells_per_side, dim)
+    cell_id = unflatten_cell_buffer(cell_id, cells_per_side, dim)
 
     for k, v in sorted_kwargs.items():
       if v.ndim == 1:
         v = jnp.reshape(v, v.shape + (1,))
       cell_kwargs[k] = cell_kwargs[k].at[sorted_cell_id].set(v)
-      cell_kwargs[k] = _unflatten_cell_buffer(
+      cell_kwargs[k] = unflatten_cell_buffer(
           cell_kwargs[k], cells_per_side, dim)
 
     occupancy = ops.segment_sum(jnp.ones_like(hashes), hashes, cell_count)
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ def cell_list_candidate_fn(cl_id_buffer, positionShape) -> Array:
     for dindex in _neighboring_cells(dim):
       if onp.all(dindex == 0):
         continue
-      cell_idx += [_shift_array(idx, dindex)]
+      cell_idx += [shift_array(idx, dindex)]
 
     cell_idx = jnp.concatenate(cell_idx, axis=-2)
     cell_idx = cell_idx[..., jnp.newaxis, :, :]