title: Theory of reciprocating contact for viscoelastic solids.
abstract: A theory of reciprocating contacts for linear viscoelastic materials is presented. Results are discussed for the case of a rigid sphere sinusoidally driven in sliding contact with a viscoelastic half-space. Depending on the size of the contact, the frequency and amplitude of the reciprocating motion, and on the relaxation time of the viscoelastic body, we establish that the contact behavior may range from the steady-state viscoelastic solution, in which traction forces always oppose the direction of the sliding rigid punch, to a more elaborate trend, which is due to the strong interaction between different regions of the path covered during the reciprocating motion. Practical implications span a number of applications, ranging from seismic engineering to biotechnology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Putignano
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.|Department of Mechanics, Mathematics and Management, Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy.|CNR Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies U.O.S. Bari, Physics Department M. Merlin, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dini