Related papers: Frictionless Racquetball?
We consider a particle moving on the half line $x>0$ and subject to a constant force in the $-x$ direction plus a delta-correlated random force. At $x=0$ the particle is reflected inelastically. The velocities just after and before…
The microscopic origin of friction has been the goal of several theoretical studies in the last decades. Depending on the investigated systems or models, on the simulation techniques or conditions, different and somewhat contradictory…
I present a method for text analysis based on an analogy with the dynamic friction of sliding surfaces. One surface is an array of points with a 'friction coefficient' derived from the distribution frequency of a text's alphabetic…
Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to study frictional slip and its influence on energy dissipation and momentum transfer at atomically smooth solid/water interfaces. By modifying surface chemistry, we investigate the…
In this work, the effect of fluctuations in a disordered square lattice on diffusion of a test particle is studied using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. Diffusion is relevant to a wide variety of problems, both within physics and outside…
We examine the interaction between floating cylindrical objects and surface waves in the gravity regime. Since the impact of resonance phenomena associated with floating bodies, particularly at laboratory scales, remains underexplored, we…
We generalize the Persson contact mechanics and rubber friction theory to the case where both surfaces have surface roughness. The solids can be rigid, elastic or viscoelastic, and can be homogeneous or layered. We calculate the contact…
We consider the withdrawal of a ball from a fluid reservoir to understand the longevity of the connection between that ball and the fluid it breaks away from, at intermediate Reynolds numbers. Scaling arguments based on the processes…
In teaching the physical sciences, a significant challenge lies in the student's tendency to consider the scientific world and the "real" world as separate. For example, Newton's 1st Law of Motion states that an object in motion remains in…
We experimentally examine the dynamics of two-particle collisions occuring on a surface. We find that in two-particle collisions a standard coefficient of restitution model may not capture crucial dynamics of this system. Instead, for a…
An atom moving in a vacuum at constant velocity and parallel to a surface experiences a frictional force induced by the dissipative interaction with the quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. We show that the combination of…
Have you ever played or watched a game of pool? If so, you have already seen a billiard system in action. In mathematics and physics, a billiard system describes a ball that moves in straight lines and bounces off walls. Despite these…
The temperature increase in the contact regions between solids in sliding contact has a huge influence on friction and wear. Here we test an analytical theory for the flash temperature, valid for randomly rough surface with multiscale…
Nonlinear dynamics of a bouncing ball moving in gravitational field and colliding with a moving limiter is considered. Displacement of the limiter is a quadratic function of time. Several dynamical modes, such as fixed points, 2 - cycles…
Fluctuations exist in any material object $A$. If $A$ has non-zero temperature $T$, one speaks about thermal fluctuations. If $A$ is at very low $T$, the fluctuations are of quantum origin. Interesting effects appear if two bodies $A$ and…
This fluid dynamics video is an entry for the Gallery of Fluid Motion for the 66th Annual Meeting of the Fluid Dynamics Division of the American Physical Society. We show the curious behaviour of a light ball interacting with a liquid jet.…
In the fuzzball paradigm the information paradox is resolved because the black hole is replaced by an object with no horizon. One may therefore ask if observations can distinguish a traditional hole from a fuzzball. We find: (a) It is very…
A theoretical model is proposed for low temperature friction between two smooth rigid solid surfaces separated by lubricant molecules, admitting their deformations and rotations. Appearance of different modes of energy dissipation (by…
Images are the standard input for vision algorithms, but one-shot infield reflectance measurements are creating new opportunities for recognition and scene understanding. In this work, we address the question of what reflectance can reveal…
Many high-performance human activities are executed with little or no external feedback: think of a figure skater landing a triple jump, a pitcher throwing a curveball for a strike, or a barista pouring latte art. To study the process of…