Self-healing slip pulse on a frictional surface (Q1358864)

We analyze the title problem, first as steady traveling waves which move at constant speed, and without alteration of shape, on the interface between joined elastic half-spaces, and later as transient disturbances along such an interface, arising as slip rupture propagates spontaneously from an over-stressed nucleation site. The study is conducted in the framework of antiplane elastodynamics; normal stress is uniform and alteration of it is not considered. We show that not all constitutive models allow for steady traveling wave pulses: the static friction threshold subsequent to the relocking of the fault must increase with time.