Steady Sliding of Two Elastic Half-Spaces With Friction Reduction due to Interface Stick-Slip

Abstract

The sliding of two perfectly flat elastic half-spaces with a constant interfacial coefficient of friction is investigated. Previous work has demonstrated that this configuration is dynamically unstable due to the destabilization of frictional slip waves. It was speculated that this dynamic instability could lead to stick-slip motion at the sliding interface. It is shown here that stick-slip motion at the interface can exist with a speed-independent interface coefficient of friction. Steady motion persists sufficiently far from the interface and thus gives the impression of uniform sliding. This type of stick-slip motion is due to interfacial slip waves and allows the bodies to slide with an apparent coefficient of friction which is less than the interface coefficient of friction. Furthermore it is shown that the apparent friction coefficient decreases with increasing speed even if the interface friction coefficient is speed-independent. Finally, it is shown that the presence of slip waves may make it possible for two frictional bodies to slide without a resisting shear stress and without any interface separation. No distinction is made between static and kinetic friction.