Phononic frictional losses of a particle crossing a crystal: linear-response theory

We address weak-coupling frictional sliding with phononic dissipation by means of analytic many-body techniques. Our model consists of a particle (the “slider”) moving through a two- or three-dimensional crystal and interacting weakly with its atoms, and therefore exciting phonons. By means of linear-response theory we obtain explicit expressions for the friction force slowing down the slider as a function of its speed, and compare them to the friction obtained by simulations, demonstrating a remarkable accord.