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Rigorous field-theoretical approach to the contact mechanics of rough elastic solids
1mmuser@uwo.ca
Abstract:
A statistical field theory is formulated, which allows one to calculate the pressure distribution Pr(p) in a contact formed by an elastic body and a rigid counter face of arbitrary topography. It is a cumulant expansion, which contains Persson's contact mechanics theory as the leading-order term. Our approach provides a framework with which corrections can now be derived systematically. As an example, Pr(p) is calculated to high accuracy for exponentially repulsive solids. Non-Gaussian tails in Pr(p) can be rationalized for surfaces whose height spectra differ from colored noise.
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