2023-10-07 15:57:00
Friction: Researchers Uncover Mysteries at the Atomic Level
October 7, 2023 – Friction, an everyday phenomenon, has always intrigued scientists. How does heat generate during rubbing processes? While some aspects of friction have been understood for centuries, there are still unanswered questions, particularly regarding the exact contact conditions between objects. However, a recent international research team, including scientists from the University of Regensburg, the University of Kanazawa in Japan, and the Donostia International Physics Center in Spain, has made significant progress in unraveling the mysteries of friction.
The team, led by Franz J. Giessibl from the Regensburg Chair for Quantum Nanoscience, focused on dynamic friction, specifically exploring the force required to maintain the movement of a molecule. Unlike static friction, which deals with a single molecule moving on a surface, dynamic friction has been relatively unexplored theoretically.
To conduct their research, the team analyzed how carbon monoxide molecules behave on a single-crystalline copper surface using a special atomic force microscope. This advanced microscopy technique allowed them to study atomic forces using a nanoscopically fine needle. They investigated the relationship between the movement of the molecule triggered by the microscope tip, the heat generation, and the static and sliding friction.
The findings were astonishing. The researchers discovered a mysterious bridge state formation during friction, which could only be described by quantum mechanics. According to Giessibl, attempts to explain this phenomenon using classical mechanics no longer proved sufficient.
Giessibl further explained that friction can be traced back to the forces of atomic contact between two rubbing bodies. He compared these forces to eggs in an egg carton, suggesting that the depressions in the carton represent the preferred places of an atom “rubbing” on them. The forces between atoms are not as simple as those experienced by an egg in an egg carton. Instead, the nature of these forces is subject to quantum mechanics.
While further research is needed, this study paves the way for future investigations into the atomic processes involved in converting mechanical energy into heat. The research paper, titled “Dynamic Friction Unraveled by Observing an Unexpected Intermediate State in Controlled Molecular Manipulation,” has been published in the journal “Physical Review Letters.”
Friction, a fundamental aspect of our daily lives, continues to be a fascinating subject for scientific exploration. As researchers like the team from Regensburg delve deeper into the atomic level understanding of friction, we hope to gain more insight into this mysterious phenomenon with broad implications for various fields of study.]
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