Noise of sliding rough contact
Résumé
This article is a discussion about the origin of friction noise produced when rubbing
solids having rough surfaces. We show that noise emerges from numerous impacts into the
contact between antagonist asperities of surfaces. Prediction of sound sources reduces to
a statistical problem of contact mechanics. On the other hand, contact is also responsible
of dissipation of vibration. This leads to the paradoxical result that the noise may not be
proportional to the number of sources.