Thermo-Molecular Gas-Film Lubrication (t-MGL) Analysis in the Free Molecular Limit: Effects of Accommodation Coefficients on Static Pressure

In order to examine thermo-molecular gas film lubrication (t-MGL) characteristics with a temperature distribution at the disk or slider surfaces for spacings of several nanometers, the free molecular t-MGL equation considering temperature distributions and accommodation coefficients at the boundaries was established. By analyzing pressure generated by the wedge effect (slider inclination) and the thermal wedge effect (boundary temperature distributions), it is revealed that, as the accommodation coefficient, α₀, of the running disk or the boundary surface with a temperature distribution decreases, that is, as the ratio of specular reflection increases, the pressure generation decreases, whereas as the accommodation coefficient, α₁, of the stationary slider surface or the boundary surface without a temperature distribution decreases, the pressure generation increases.