Friction between two surfaces is due to nano- and micro-asperities at the interface that establish true contact and are responsible for the energy dissipation. To understand the friction mechanism, often single-asperity model experiments are conducted in atomic-force microscopes. Here, we show that the conventional interpretation of the typical results of such experiments, based on a simple mass-spring model, hides a fundamental contradiction. Via an estimate of the order of magnitude of the dissipative forces required to produce atomic-scale patterns in the stick-slip motion of a frictional nano-contact, we find that the energy dissipation must be dominated by a very small, highly dynamic mass at the very end of the asperity. Our conclusion casts new light on the behavior of sliding surfaces and invites us to speculate about new ways to control friction by manipulation of the contact geometry.

中文翻译：

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关于摩擦力显微镜中原子尺度图案的非平凡起源。

两个表面之间的摩擦是由于界面处的纳米和微米粗糙度造成的，这些粗糙度建立了真正的接触并导致能量耗散。为了了解摩擦机制，通常在原子力显微镜中进行单粗糙体模型实验。在这里，我们表明，基于简单的质量弹簧模型对此类实验的典型结果的传统解释隐藏了一个根本矛盾。通过对在摩擦纳米接触的粘滑运动中产生原子级图案所需的耗散力的数量级进行估计，我们发现能量耗散必须由一个非常小的、高动态的质量主导。粗糙的尽头。我们的结论为滑动表面的行为提供了新的线索，并邀请我们推测通过操纵接触几何形状来控制摩擦的新方法。