Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 28, 2025

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Pulling a harmonically bound particle subjected to Coulombic friction: A nonequilibrium analysis
T Feghhi1, W Tichy1, A W C Lau1
1Department of Physics, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, USA.
Abstract:
We address the effects of dry friction, which has emerged only recently to play an important role in some biological systems. In particular, we investigate the nonequilibrium dynamics of a mesoscopic particle, bound to a spring being pulled at a definite speed, moving on a surface with dry friction in a noisy environment. We model the dry friction phenomenologically with a term that is proportional to the sign of the velocity, and by means of numerical simulations of a Langevin equation we show that (a) the frictional force scales with the logarithm of the pulling velocity, (b) the probability distribution function of the spatial displacement away from the potential minimum is non-Gaussian, (c) the fluctuation-dissipation theorem is violated as expected, but (d) the work function obeys the stationary fluctuation theorem, with an effective temperature related to the noise of the system.
Related Concept Videos
Equilibrium Conditions for a Particle
To understand the concept of equilibrium, let us first consider the forces acting on an object. When different forces act on an object, they can...
Coulomb's Law
Newton's third law applies to the Coulomb force — the...
First Law: Particles in One-dimensional Equilibrium
First Law: Particles in Two-dimensional Equilibrium
Newton's first law tells us about...
Types of Friction Problems
The first type of dry friction problem involves situations where there is no apparent impending motion....
Force and Potential Energy in One Dimension

