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METALLIC FRICTION

Visualized atom by atom

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The processes of metallic asperities moving across each other, which are decisive in most machinery, have been visualized at the atomic scale, revealing unexpected behaviour especially when under tensile stress.

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Fig. 1: Atomic processes at the sliding contact.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science and Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Udo D. Schwarz

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  1. Udo D. Schwarz
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Correspondence to Udo D. Schwarz.

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Schwarz, U.D. Visualized atom by atom. Nat. Mater. 21, 140–142 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01115-y

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