Abstract
The ability to control and manipulate frictional forces is extremely important for a variety of applications. Controlling frictional forces has been traditionally approached by chemical means, usually by supplementing base lubricants with friction modifying additives. Standard lubrication techniques, however, are expected to be less effective in the micro-and nano-world. Novel methods for control and manipulation are therefore needed. ACOF is a joint experimental, theoretical and computational project aimed at designing methods and algorithms to control friction by both mechanical means (via externally imposed vibrations of small amplitude and energy) and surface modification. To accomplish these goals, it is essential to understand the internal dynamics, i.e. the internal rates of structural rearrangement of confined systems under shear. In this project new advances in experimental and theoretical techniques will be used to both acquire a detailed understanding of fundamental frictional processes and manipulate them. The interrelation between friction at the nano-, micro- and macroscopic scales will be explored.
Consortium
Project Leader:
Professor Michael Urbakh
School of Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Principal Investigators:
Professor Lyderic Bocquet
Condensed Matter Laboratory, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
Professor Jay Fineberg
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Professor Joseph Klafter
School of Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Professor Ernst Meyer
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute of Physics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Professor Valentin Popov
Institute of Mechanics, Technical University, Berlin, Germany
Professor Marek Szymonski
Department of Physics of Nanostructures and Nanotechnology, Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
Associated Partners:
Professor Erio Tosatti
SISSA, Trieste, Italy
Professor Sergio Valeri
CNR-INFM, National Research Center on nanoStructures and bioSystems at Surfaces (S3), Modena, Italy
