Nonlinear Dynamics in Tomlinson’s Model of Atomic Scale Friction
This work presents a detailed computational and analytical investigation of Tomlinson’s model for atomic scale dry friction. The model describes a prototypical mechanism of energy dissipation from an atom dragged across a periodic atomic lattice and is often used to model the dynamics of friction force microscope tips. While a number of articles in the literature utilize this model, there is little work in the literature that utilizes the computational and theoretical tools of modern nonlinear dynamics in analyzing this model. This research demonstrates that the use of computational nonlinear dynamics techniques provides a deep insight into the mechanisms of chaotic stick-slip phenomena and the speed dependence of frictional forces of atomic scale friction.