Spatio-temporal fluctuations and self-organization in sliding friction

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24654119
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Mathematical physics/Fundamental condensed matter physics
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: YAMAGUCHI Tetsuo 九州大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (20466783)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 地震 / 摩擦 / ゲル / スティックスリップ運動 / その場可視化 / 不均一性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Gel is a soft and elastic material made of polymer, and exhibits so called stick-slip motions when it is slid against a counter surface. Gel is sometimes used as an analogue material of earthquake faults due to similarity in its dynamical behavior. In this study, we conducted friction experiments using gels and found that the complexity and spatio-temporal heterogeneity in stick-slip motions can be well controlled by experimental parameters. In order to understand its local dynamics, we performed in-situ optical observations of frictional interfaces. As a result, we found some scaling relations connecting physical quantities that describe slip occurrence and experimental parameters.

Free Research Field

統計物理学，ソフトマター物理学，実験地震学