We study the solutions of a friction oscillator subject to stiction. This
discontinuous model is non-Filippov, and the concept of Filippov solution
cannot be used. Furthermore some Carath\'eodory solutions are unphysical.
Therefore we introduce the concept of stiction solutions: these are the
Carath\'eodory solutions that are physically relevant, i.e. the ones that
follow the stiction law. However, we find that some of the stiction solutions
are forward non-unique in subregions of the slip onset. We call these solutions
singular, in contrast to the regular stiction solutions that are forward
unique. In order to further the understanding of the non-unique dynamics, we
introduce a regularization of the model. This gives a singularly perturbed
problem that captures the main features of the original discontinuous problem.
We identify a repelling slow manifold that separates the forward slipping to
forward sticking solutions, leading to a high sensitivity to the initial
conditions. On this slow manifold we find canard trajectories, that have the
physical interpretation of delaying the slip onset. We show with numerics that
the regularized problem has a family of periodic orbits interacting with the
canards. We observe that this family has a saddle stability and that it
connects, in the rigid body limit, the two regular, slip-stick branches of the
discontinuous problem, that were otherwise disconnected.Comment: Submitted to: SIADS. 28 pages, 12 figure