Vibrational asperity interaction in slowly sliding contacts

When two elastic bodies slide against each other, contacting asperities carry tangential load. In the case of slow sliding, each asperity can show a stick-slip-like movement that can be modelled as an integrate-and-fire (IF) oscillator. Asperities influence each other by an elastic coupling which allows a globally synchronized state instead of local events. For two neighboured asperities, the dynamics of coupled IF oscillators is investigated in view of synchronization modes, energy dissipation and their significance for the tribological contact. Additionally, the influence of a relaxating coefficient of stiction, i.e. a time-dependent firing threshold, is discussed. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)