POSSIBLE NEARLY FRICTIONLESS SLIDING FOR MESOSCOPIC SOLIDS

A linear chain of atoms, interacting with anharmonic forces, one of wh ose end atoms is forced to vibrate harmonically, is studied as a simpl e model for kinetic friction between ideal crystalline solids. It is f ound that there is a transition, as a function of chain length and dri ving frequency between a regime in which there is dissipation (i.e., t he internal energy increases as a function of time on the average) and one in which there is practically no dissipation. This suggests that there can be dissipationless sliding for sufficiently small solids.