Intrinsic Friction of Monolayers Adsorbed on Solid Surfaces

We overview recent results on intrinsic frictional properties of adsorbed monolayers, composed of mobile hard-core particles undergoing continuous exchanges with a vapor phase. In terms of a dynamical master equation approach we determine the velocity of a biased impure molecule - the tracer particle (TP), constrained to move inside the adsorbed monolayer probing its frictional properties, define the frictional forces exerted by the monolayer on the TP, as well as the particles density distribution in the monolayer.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, talk at the MRS Fall 2003 Meeting, Boston, December 1-5, 200