Issue Europhys. Lett. Volume 60, Number 4, November 2002 Page(s) 636 - 642 Section Interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology DOI 10.1209/epl/i2002-00265-7

DOI: 10.1209/epl/i2002-00265-7


Europhys. Lett., 60 (4) , pp. 636-642 (2002)

Melting-freezing cycles in a relatively sheared pair of crystalline monolayers

M. Das¹, S. Ramaswamy¹ and G. Ananthakrishna<sup>2, 1

1</sup>  Centre for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics Indian Institute of Science - Bangalore 560012, India
²  Materials Research Centre, IISc - Bangalore 560012, India

moumita@physics.iisc.ernet.in
sriram@physics.iisc.ernet.in
garani@mrc.iisc.ernet.in

(Received 16 April 2002; accepted in final form 10 September 2002)

Abstract
The nonequilibrium dynamical behaviour that arises when two ordered two-dimensional monolayers of particles are sheared over each other is studied in Brownian dynamics simulations. A curious sequence of nonequilibrium states is observed as the driving rate is increased, the most striking of which is a sliding state with irregular alternation between disordered and ordered states. We comment on possible mechanisms underlying these cycles, and experiments that could observe them.

PACS
82.70.Dd - Colloids.
62.20.Fe - Deformation and plasticity (including yield, ductility, and superplasticity).
81.40.Pq - Friction, lubrication, and wear.


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