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Friction induced self-sustained oscillations results in a very robust limit cycle that characterizes stick-slip motion. This type of motion, in which two sliding surfaces cycle between rest and motion, is a widely observed phenomenon whose effects range from atomic to macroscopic length scales. Most of the contact areas between two surfaces are not of regular shape. To take into account these irregularities in our models, the Remoissenet-Peyrard substrate potential, which is more suited for modeling real physical systems is considered. This work shows that the ignorance of the deformability properties of mechanical systems may lead to inaccurate predictions for their dynamics. It can then be viewed as a contribution to the study of stick-slip phenomena and friction, and the control of unwanted vibrations. The above assumption allows to obtain the sufficient conditions leading to the reduction of stick-slip and chaotic motions in physical systems whose shape can be modeled by a non sinusoidal substrate potential.

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Dr MOTCHONGOM TINGUE spouse TAGNE is a lecturer at the University of Bamenda in Cameroon. Since year 2003, she has been actively involved with research activities in the areas of tribology and stick-slip phenomena. She is engaged in controlling chaotic and stick-slip motions in physical systems modeled by a nonsinusoidal substrate potential.

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