Lift induced by slip inhomogeneities in lubricated contacts

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that slip inhomogeneities on surfaces induce lift forces affecting particle mobility, with implications for biological interfaces and surface patterning to control particle motion.

Contribution

It reveals that slip inhomogeneities generate lift forces and explores their effects on particle dynamics near surfaces, offering new insights into surface design and biological interactions.

Findings

Slip inhomogeneities induce lift forces.

Particle oscillation and migration occur due to slip variations.

Implications for biological interfaces and surface patterning.

Abstract

Lubrication forces depend to a high degree on elasticity, texture, charge, chemistry, and temperature of the interacting surfaces. Therefore, by appropriately designing surface properties, we may tailor lubrication forces to reduce friction, adhesion and wear between sliding surfaces or control repulsion, assembly, and collision of interacting particles. Here, we show that variations of slippage on one of the contacting surfaces induce a lift force. We demonstrate the consequences of this force on the mobility of a cylinder traveling near a wall and show the emergence of particle oscillation and migration that would not otherwise occur in the Stokes flow regime.Our study has implications for understanding how inhomogeneous biological interfaces interact with their environment; it also reveals a new method of patterning surfaces for controlling the motion of nearby particles.