Adhesion and Friction

"Adhesion and Friction: Microscopic Concepts" was the theme of the third workshop on interface phenomena organized jointly by the surface science groups at Dalhousie University and the University of Maine. The first two workshops were dedicated to the discussion of elementary processes governing the reaction rates at surfaces and in bulk materials, i. e. adsorption, desorption and diffusion. In this third year a step towards the understanding of complicated (but practical) issues such as adhesion and friction between different materials was undertaken. The presentations and discussions focused on elementary chemical and physical processes at surfaces and interfaces relevant to adhesion, lubrication and friction and gave an account of the application of surface science methods and techniques to relevant model systems. Clearly, at the time of the conference and the publication of the proceedings the understanding of the chemical and physical mechanisms determining the interaction between two solids is still rudimentary, but the issues involved are attracting the attention of more and more scientists and are now regularly represented at scientific meetings. The conference was held at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The facilities provided an ideal setting for the meeting and lively discussions. On behalf of the participants, we would like to express our grat­ itude to the staff at Dalhousie University for making our stay so pleasant and memorable.