The breakdown of continuum models for mechanical contacts.

Binquan Luan1, Mark O Robbins

  • 1Department of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Streeet, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.

Nature
|June 17, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Continuum contact mechanics breaks down at atomic scales due to surface roughness, significantly altering predictions for contact area, friction, and adhesion in nanoscale systems.

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