Shear forces in molecularly thin films.

Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics methods have been used to study the shearing behavior of an atomic fluid between two plane-parallel solid surfaces having the face-centered cubic (100) structure. A distorted, face-centered cubic solid can form epitaxially between surfaces that are separated by distances of one to five atomic diameters. Under these conditions a critical stress must be overcome to initiate sliding of the surfaces over one another at fixed separation, temperature, and chemical potential. As sliding begins, a layer of solid exits the space between the surfaces and the remaining layers become fluid.