Vibration can enhance stick-slip behavior for granular friction

We experimentally study the frictional behavior of a two-dimensional slider [1] pulled slowly over a granular substrate comprised of photoelastic disks while being vibrated at frequencies ranging from 0 to 30 Hz in a direction parallel to sliding. Measurements are performed at constant peak acceleration amplitude, which results in constant average friction levels, but varying frictional behaviors. Surprisingly, we find that stick-slip behavior, where stress slowly builds up and is released in intermittent slips, is enhanced as the frequency of vibration is increased. Our results suggest that increasing the frequency of vibration may help to combine many smaller rearrangements into fewer, but larger, avalanche-like slips. We also examine the manner in which the self-affine character of the force curves evolves with frequency, and find additional support for this interpretation.
[1] J. Krim, Peidong Yu and R.P. Behringer, Pur Appl. Geophys. 168 (2011) 2259-2275