Interaction and deformation of viscoelastic particles. 2. Adhesive particles

Analyzed is the mutual deformation of adhesive particles that interact with van der Waals forces using a viscoelastic theory that accounts for the tim e dependence of the phenomenon. The particle shape and interaction is calcu lated self-consistently for finite-ranged forces. Typical loading-unloading trajectories display hysteresis that increases with driving velocity, as d oes the particles' adhesion. An analytic approximation that accounts for th e precontact deformation is tested against the exact numerical benchmarks a nd found to be accurate.