Experimental and theoretical aspects of the modern nanotribology

A review is given of the present day problems related with experimental and theoretical studies in nanotribology, a new apatterning branch of physics, which pertains to investigations of the atomic-scale friction, adhesion, wear and lubrication. When analysing the experimental results a major point of interest is related with "dry" adhesion friction between the tip of an atomic force microscope and an atomically smooth surface. However, many other physical effects are considered, too, such as chemical ones, triboemission of particles, conduction in metallic nanocontacts, etc. For the first time, some new results in theoretical elaborations of adhesional (static) and dynamical (velocity-proportional) friction are discussed, as well as some results obtained using the computer simulations. A brief discussion of nanostructural friction measured with the quartz crystal microbalance technique and the surface-force apparatus is also given.