The study of sliding friction is one of the oldest problems in physics, and certainly one of the most important from a practical point of view. Low-friction surfaces are in increasingly high demand for high-tech components such as computer storage systems, miniature motors, and aerospace devices. It has been estimated that about 5% of the gross national product in the developed countries is "wasted" on friction and the related wear. In spite of this, remarkable little is understood about the fundamental, microscopic processes responsible for friction and wear. The topic of interfacial sliding...

The study of sliding friction is one of the oldest problems in physics, and certainly one of the most important from a practical point of view. Low-friction surfaces are in increasingly high demand for high-tech components such as computer storage systems, miniature motors, and aerospace devices. It has been estimated that about 5% of the gross national product in the developed countries is "wasted" on friction and the related wear. In spite of this, remarkable little is understood about the fundamental, microscopic processes responsible for friction and wear. The topic of interfacial sliding...

When an area of research is in fast growth, it often happens that no one single journal is to be found where most of the relevant publications are contained. Such is the case of the physics of intercalation compounds, a field which, by sitting at a corner point between materials science, solid state physics, and chemistry, finds its contributions largely scattered about in the literature. Given these circumstances it is of crucial interest to find a place where the most recent contributions and up-to-date referen ces can be found at once. For intercalated graphite and other similar com pounds...