title: Friction and second-order phase transitions.
abstract: A microscopic model is studied numerically to describe wearless dry friction without thermal fluctuations between atomically flat contact interfaces. The analysis is based on a double-chain model with a Lennard-Jones interaction between the chains which are the respective upper flexible monolayers of the rigid bulk systems. Whereas below a critical interaction strength epsilon(c) the system exhibits a frictionless state, it offers static friction above epsilon(c) . Introducing an appropriate order parameter function we demonstrate the analogy of the critical behavior to a phase transition of second order. The order parameter is related to a hull function describing uniquely the incommensurate ground state of the model. The breakdown of analyticity of the hull function is identified with the phase transition. Critical exponents are calculated and the validity of finite-size scaling is displayed.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Theoretische Physik, Universität Ulm, D-89069 Ulm, Germany. mario.einax@physik.uni-ulm.de
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Einax
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trimper