Contact Problem with Bulk-Applied Intermolecular Interaction Forces: a Simplified Solution Method (Two-Level Model)

Abstract

The formulation of the contact problem is considered in the presence of bulk-applied intermolecular interaction forces between the contacting bodies. A method for contact gap evaluation is proposed to simplify to a significant extent the calculation of contact interaction in the scope of a self-consistent approach. Using the estimate of the contact gap, subsurface stresses in an elastic half-space that is in contact with a spherical indenter have been calculated.