Creep motion of a model frictional system

Abstract

We report on the dynamics of a model frictional system submitted to minute external perturbations. The system consists of a chain of sliders connected through elastic springs that rest on an incline. By introducing cyclic expansions and contractions of the springs we observe a reptation of the chain. We account for the average reptation velocity theoretically. The velocity of small systems exhibits a series of plateaus as a function of the incline angle. Due to elastic e ects, there exists a critical amplitude below which the reptation is expected to cease. However, rather than a full stop of the creep, we observe in numerical simulations a transition between a continuous-creep and an irregular-creep regime when the critical amplitude is approached. The latter transition is reminiscent of the transition between the continuous and the irregular compaction of granular matter submitted to periodic temperature changes.

References in corpus (6)

• Solid Friction from stick-slip to pinning and aging
• Packing grains by thermally cycling
• Creep motion of a granular pile induced by thermal cycling
• Fluid flow at the interface between elastic solids with randomly rough surfaces
• Invited review: Effect of temperature on a granular pile
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Cited by in corpus (7)

• Edwards thermodynamics for a driven athermal system with dry friction
• Avalanche precursors in a frictional model
• Measurement of surface deformation and cohesion of a granular pile under the effect of centrifugal force
• Deformation of a rotated granular pile governed by body-force-dependent friction
• Generalized Edwards thermodynamics and marginal stability in a driven system with dry and viscous friction
• Statistical physics of frictional grains: some simple applications of Edwards statistics
• Soil creep facilitated by cyclic variations of environmental conditions