Slippery but Tough: The Rapid Fracture of Lubricated Frictional Interfaces

Bayart, Elsa; Svetlizky, Ilya; Fineberg, Jay

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.116.194301

Cited by 39 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(53 reference statements)

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“…Since Homalite is a viscoelastic material, we use the dynamic Young’s modulus E d =5.3 GPa (ref. 46) to compute the dynamic stress change4748, together with a Poisson’s ratio of ν =0.35 (refs 32, 49). Since the displacement fields are computed using the loaded specimen configuration as reference, the strains and stresses computed from these fields are changes over the reference configuration.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding dynamic friction through spontaneously evolving laboratory earthquakes

2017

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Friction plays a key role in how ruptures unzip faults in the Earth’s crust and release waves that cause destructive shaking. Yet dynamic friction evolution is one of the biggest uncertainties in earthquake science. Here we report on novel measurements of evolving local friction during spontaneously developing mini-earthquakes in the laboratory, enabled by our ultrahigh speed full-field imaging technique. The technique captures the evolution of displacements, velocities and stresses of dynamic ruptures, whose rupture speed range from sub-Rayleigh to supershear. The observed friction has complex evolution, featuring initial velocity strengthening followed by substantial velocity weakening. Our measurements are consistent with rate-and-state friction formulations supplemented with flash heating but not with widely used slip-weakening friction laws. This study develops a new approach for measuring local evolution of dynamic friction and has important implications for understanding earthquake hazard since laws governing frictional resistance of faults are vital ingredients in physically-based predictive models of the earthquake source.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding dynamic friction through spontaneously evolving laboratory earthquakes

2017

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“…As in dry friction, the onset of sliding of lubricated interfaces in the boundary lubrication regime is mediated by the propagation of rupture fronts. The variations of the strain fields created by these rupture fronts are also well described by LEFM (Figure c; Bayart et al, ). From a macroscopic point of view, a lubricant layer reduces the interfacial resistance to shear; that is, measured friction coefficients are smaller for a lubricated interface than for a dry one.…”

Section: Dynamics Of Interfacial Rupturesmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…Surprisingly, the fracture energy of a lubricated interface is higher than the value of Γ for the same nonlubricated (dry) interface. We have found that value of Γ does not depend on the viscosity of the lubricant used but, instead, on its chemical composition (Bayart et al, ). For example, when using hydrocarbon oils, Γ is still proportional to applied normal loads, but its value is an order of magnitude higher than for the same dry interface (Figure d).…”

Section: Dynamics Of Interfacial Rupturesmentioning

confidence: 95%

Rupture Dynamics of Heterogeneous Frictional Interfaces

2018

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The onset of sliding motion is conditional on the propagation of rupture fronts that detach the contacting asperities forming a frictional interface. These ruptures, when propagating over a fault surface, are the most common mechanism for an earthquake. Experimentally, the transition from static to sliding friction takes place when a rupture traverses the entire interface. But ruptures can also arrest before reaching the end of the interface. The determination of the mechanisms responsible for rupture arrest is of particular interest for understanding an earthquake's magnitude selection. Propagating ruptures have been shown to be true shear cracks, driven by singular fields at their tip, and fracture mechanics have been successfully used to describe rupture arrest along homogeneous frictional interfaces. Performing high temporal resolution measurements of the real contact area and strain fields, we demonstrate that the same framework provides an excellent quantitative description of rupture arrest along interfaces with heterogeneous fracture properties and complex stress distributions at a macroscopic scale. This work unravels the different mechanisms responsible for rupture arrest along model laboratory faults. This fracture‐based paradigm opens a window to a wide range of possible consequences for frictional behavior along any two contacting bodies; from the centimeter scale to the scale of natural faults.

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“…6(a). The addition of a thin layer of lubricant significantly increases Γ [33] and increase τ p − τ r but to a smaller extent than the increase in Γ, as can be concluded from the relative increase in x c (Eq. 3).…”

Section: Systematic Comparison Between Measurements and Lefmmentioning

confidence: 81%

Dynamic fields at the tip of sub-Rayleigh and supershear frictional rupture fronts

Svetlizky

Albertini

Cohen

et al. 2020

Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids

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The onset of frictional motion at the interface between two distinct bodies in contact is characterized by the propagation of dynamic rupture fronts. We combine friction experiments and numerical simulations to study the properties of these frictional rupture fronts. We extend previous analysis of slow and sub-Rayleigh rupture fronts and show that strain fields and the evolution of real contact area in the tip vicinity of supershear ruptures are well described by analytical fracture-mechanics solutions. Fracture-mechanics theory further allows us to determine long sought-after interface properties, such as local fracture energy and frictional peak strength. Both properties are observed to be roughly independent of rupture speed and mode of propagation. However, our study also reveals discrepancies between measurements and analytical solutions that appear as the rupture speed approaches the longitudinal wave speed. Further comparison with dynamic simulations illustrates that, in the supershear propagation regime, transient and geometrical (finite sample thickness) effects cause smaller near-tip strain amplitudes than expected from the fracturemechanics theory. By showing good quantitative agreement between experiments, simulations and theory over the entire range of possible rupture speeds, we demonstrate that frictional rupture fronts are classic dynamic cracks despite residual friction.

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Slippery but Tough: The Rapid Fracture of Lubricated Frictional Interfaces

Cited by 39 publications

References 37 publications

Understanding dynamic friction through spontaneously evolving laboratory earthquakes

Understanding dynamic friction through spontaneously evolving laboratory earthquakes

Rupture Dynamics of Heterogeneous Frictional Interfaces

Dynamic fields at the tip of sub-Rayleigh and supershear frictional rupture fronts

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