Physics of Sliding Friction

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The study of sliding friction is one of the oldest problems in physics, and certainly one of the most important from a practical point of view. It has been estimated that about 5 per cent of the gross national product in the developed countries is wasted on friction and related wear. The topic of interfacial sliding has experienced a major burst of interest and activity since 1987, much of which has developed quite independently and spontaneously. This volume contains contributions on fundamental aspects of sliding friction. Some of the problems considered are: What is the origin of stick-and-slip motion? What is the origin of the rapid processes taking place within a lubrication layer at slow sliding velocities? On a metallic surface, is the electronic or phononic friction the dominant energy dissipation process? What is the role (if any) of self-organized criticality in sliding friction? How thick is the water layer during sliding on ice and snow? These and other questions are of course only partly answered: the topic of sliding friction is still in an early state of development.