Stick–slip dynamics of interfacial friction

We investigate a model system which consists of a chain of particles that interact with two periodic potentials representing two confining plates, one of which is externally driven. The model leads to a spectrum of rich behaviors in the motion of the top driven plate: stick–slip, intermittent kinetic regime, characterized by force fluctuations, and two types of sliding above a critical driving velocity vc. Similar behaviors are typical of a broad range of systems including thin sheared liquids. The relaxation of the “slip” part between two “stick” events in the stick–slip time series may display more than one characteristic time scale. The different relaxation times are shown to be related to a velocity-dependent effective frictional force felt by the driven plate.