Lecture
Friction between solid surfaces is an important phenomenon in everyday life. A
large portion of the total energy production in industrialised countries is
lost through friction and wear. Friction is a very complex phenomenon with
dynamics happening on many length and time scales. At the most basic level,
however, is the dissipation at the nano-scale level. Many realistic surfaces
are covered in molecules, especially organic molecules and electrolytes in
solutions such as lubricants. I will discuss theoretical approaches based on
simple models for studying how adsorbed molecules affect the friction at the
nano scale and how they can be used to manipulate it.
