Related papers: The contact mechanics challenge: Problem definitio…
A microscopic theory for the ubiquitous phenomenon of static friction is presented. Interactions between two surfaces are modeled by an energy penalty that increases exponentially with the degree of surface overlap. The resulting static…
This work presents a self-contained continuum formulation for coupled chemical, mechanical and thermal contact interactions. The formulation is very general and hence admits arbitrary geometry, deformation and material behavior. All model…
We introduce a contact law for the normal force generated between two contacting, elastically anisotropic bodies of arbitrary geometry. The only requirement is that their surfaces be smooth and frictionless. This anisotropic contact law is…
Physics simulation is ubiquitous in robotics. Whether in model-based approaches (e.g., trajectory optimization), or model-free algorithms (e.g., reinforcement learning), physics simulators are a central component of modern control pipelines…
We study the lubricated contact of sliding soft surfaces that are locally patterned but globally cylindrical, held together under an external normal force. The local patterns represent either naturally occurring surface roughness or…
The effect of surface curvature on the law relating frictional forces F with normal load L is investigated by molecular dynamics simulations as a function of surface symmetry, adhesion, and contamination. Curved, non-adhering, dry,…
Barrier potentials gained popularity as a means for robust contact handling in physical modeling and for modeling self-avoiding shapes. The key to the success of these approaches is adherence to geometric constraints, i.e., avoiding…
We present a generic solution to the fundamental problem of how to connect two points in a plane by a smooth curve that goes through these points with a given slope. The smoothness of any curve depends both on its curvature and its length.…
Classically, the quantity of contact area $A_R$ between two bodies is considered a proxy for the force of friction. However, bond density across the interface - quality of contact - is also relevant, and contemporary debate often centers…
Engineering wear models are generally empirical and lack connections to the physical processes of debris generation at the nanoscale to microscale. Here, we thus analyze wear particle formation for sliding interfaces in dry contact with…
The wetting of solid surfaces by fluids is a problem of great practical importance that has been extensively studied over the years. Most often, the experimental work has involved measurements of the contact angle made by a liquid on the…
This review provides an introduction to the essential physics of soft adhesion, including the thermodynamics of adhesion and wetting, the mechanics of contact with deformable materials, and the material properties that most affect…
A novel Material Point Method (MPM) is introduced for addressing frictional contact problems. In contrast to the standard multi-velocity field approach, this method employs a penalty method to evaluate contact forces at the discretised…
Confinement of filamentary objects is ubiquitous in numerous biological, medical, and engineering scenarios. Quantitatively determining the mechanical interaction between flexible filaments and surface confinement is particularly…
The classical Hertzian contact model establishes a monotonic correlation between contact force and area. Here, we showed that the interplay between local friction and structural instability can deliberately lead to unconventional contact…
In the framework of the recently developed asymptotic models for tibio-femoral contact incorporating frictionless elliptical contact interaction between thin elastic, viscoelastic, or biphasic cartilage layers, we apply an asymptotic…
Soft elastic sheets resting on rigid surfaces develop wrinkles, rucks, and folds due to the combined influence of elasticity, gravity, and contact interactions. Despite their ubiquity, the principles governing their morphology and…
The surface of a liquid near a moving contact line is highly curved owing to diverging viscous forces. Thus, microscopic physics must be invoked at the contact line and matched to the hydrodynamic solution farther away. This matching has…
Surface stresses have recently emerged as a key player in the mechanics of highly compliant solids. The classic theories of contact mechanics describe adhesion with a compliant substrate as a competition between surface energies driving…
When the surface of a first material is brought into contact with the surface of a second material the contact region is called an interface. Since the time of James Clerk Maxwell it has been customary to treat a material electrically as…