ULTRATHIN LIQUID LUBRICATION OF MAGNETIC HEAD-RIGID DISK INTERFACE FOR NEAR-CONTACT RECORDING .1. A CLOSED-FORM SOLUTION TO THE REYNOLDS-EQUATION

A closed-form approximate solution to ultrathin and near-zero-pitch li quid lubrication of magnetic head-rigid disk interfaces for near-conta ct recording is derived. This study focuses on the steady state at the fully flooded rail-disk contact condition. It is assumed that the lub ricant in the interface is isoviscous and the slider is in the no-roll and no-yaw situation. Simple dimensionless groups of operating factor s are identified to facilitate the parametric study of performance. Re sults of interface geometry effects on load, location of pressure cent er, friction force, and friction coefficient are presented. Typical di stributions of pressure and shear stress at mil surface are also prese nted. The important effects such as shear thinning and thermal thinnin g are incorporated by introducing shear thinning and thermal thinning factors. Implementation of these correction factors will be presented in Part II.