# A Ball in a Groove

## Rolling solutions

We first consider solutions in which both contacts roll without sliding: One of the contact points retrogrades up its contact plane, while the other rolls down its plane. Thus we have Eqs. (10) for the normal displacements, while Eqs. (11) become

$$u_{t;(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{L}{R})}=Z(\mathrm{cos}\beta _{(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{L}{R})}\pm \upsilon ),$$
(13)   
In principle, we have a uniquely soluble system, since we have the three variables $`Z`$, $`\beta _L`$ and $`\upsilon `$ describing the kinematics, with three conditions of static equilibrium. However, we must also impose Eqs. (4) constraining the values of $`T/N`$. Thus there will be some restricted region of the $`\gamma \delta `$ plane in which solution of the Eqs. (1-3) is possible. Substituting Eqs. (10) and (13) into Eqs. (1-3), we obtain

$$\left(\frac{\mathrm{sin}\beta _R}{\mathrm{sin}\beta _L}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}=\frac{\mathrm{sin}\theta _L}{\mathrm{sin}\theta _R}+\frac{\left(\mathrm{cos}\beta _L+\upsilon \right)\left(\mathrm{cos}\theta _R\mathrm{cos}\theta _L\right)}{\mathrm{sin}\beta _L\mathrm{sin}\theta _R},$$
(14)   
and

$$\left(\frac{\mathrm{sin}\beta _R}{\mathrm{sin}\beta _L}\right)^{\frac{1}{2}}=\frac{\mathrm{cos}\beta _L+\upsilon }{\mathrm{cos}\beta _R\upsilon }.$$
(15)   
It is straightforward to solve these equations for $`\beta _L`$ (and thus $`\beta _R`$) and for $`\upsilon `$. For $`\theta _L=\theta _R`$ (or $`\delta =0`$), $`\beta _L=\beta _R=\frac{\pi }{2}\gamma `$ and $`\upsilon =0`$, i.e., there is no rolling and both contacts are stuck. Furthermore,

$$\frac{u_{t;L}}{u_{n;L}}=\frac{u_{t;R}}{u_{n;R}}=\mathrm{cot}\beta _L=\mathrm{tan}\gamma =\frac{T_L}{N_L}=\frac{T_R}{N_R}<k.$$
(16)   
Hence, the solution for $`\delta =0`$ can only exist for $`\gamma <\mathrm{arctan}(k)`$, because for $`\gamma >\mathrm{arctan}(k)`$, the values of $`T/N`$ corresponding to this solution exceed $`k`$. Thus, emanating from the point $`(\gamma ,\delta )=(\mathrm{arctan}(k),0)`$ is a boundary beyond which double rolling is impossible, because it would require illegal values of $`T/N>k`$. This bound is exceeded first on the steeper of the two walls. This boundary, shown as a solid line in Fig. 2, rejoins the $`\gamma `$-axis at $`\gamma =0`$, asymptotically merging with the line $`\delta =\gamma `$.

There is an additional solution for which $`\upsilon =0`$ (no rolling), with $`\beta _L\beta _R`$, that exists for $`\frac{\pi }{4}\gamma \mathrm{arctan}(\sqrt{2})`$. This additional solution always has at least one of the ratios $`T/N\sqrt{2}`$, so it can only appear for $`k>\sqrt{2}`$, and constitutes a boundary between a regime in which the ball rolls clockwise (i.e., down the steeper surface) for smaller $`\gamma `$, and a regime in which the ball rolls counter-clockwise (i.e., up the steeper surface) for larger $`\gamma `$. The values of $`(\gamma ,\delta )`$ for which this solution occurs is shown for $`k=10`$ as a dot-dashed line in Fig. 2.

## Rolling-sliding solutions

Beyond the boundary at which the steeper wall has $`T=kN`$, the only solutions possible are “rolling-sliding” solutions, in which one contact rolls without sliding while the other slides. Assuming that the left-hand wall slides, we have

$$\frac{T_L}{N_L}=k.$$
(17)   
The equations of static equilibrium then imply

$$\frac{T}{N_R}=\frac{\mathrm{sin}\theta _R}{\mathrm{cos}\theta _R\mathrm{cos}\theta _L+\frac{1}{k}\mathrm{sin}\theta _L}\mu ,$$
(18)   
where $`\mu `$ depends only upon the geometry and upon the coefficient of friction $`k`$. Note that for $`\theta _R<\theta _L`$, $`\mu <k`$, while for $`\theta _R>\theta _L`$, $`\mu >k`$. Thus, sliding always occurs on the steeper wall, which is indeed the left-hand wall for $`\delta 0`$. This is the simplest continuation of the double-rolling solution, which failed at the boundary through incipient sliding at the steeper wall. We have

$$\frac{N_L}{N_R}=\left(\frac{\mathrm{sin}\beta _L}{\mathrm{sin}\beta _R}\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}=\frac{\mu }{k},$$
(19)   
which can be uniquely solved for $`\beta _L`$ and $`\beta _R`$. In addition, the criterion that the ball rolls at the right-hand contact implies that

$$\frac{T}{N_R}=\mu =\frac{\mathrm{cos}\beta _R\upsilon }{\mathrm{sin}\beta _R},$$
(20)   
which allows us to solve for $`\upsilon (\beta _R)`$.

The physical constraint $`d_L>0`$ sets the boundary on the region with a rolling-sliding solution, which, for $`\gamma <\mathrm{arctan}(k)`$, coincides with the upper boundary of the double rolling solution discussed in the previous section. For $`\delta =0`$ we have $`\upsilon =0`$ and $`T/N_R=k`$, and this solution collapses onto a double sliding solution for $`\gamma >\mathrm{arctan}(k)`$. In addition, there is a line of solutions with $`\upsilon =0`$, corresponding to one contact sliding and the other being stuck. For $`k<\sqrt{2}`$ this line emanates from $`(\gamma ,\delta )=(\mathrm{arctan}(k),0)`$ and ends at $`(\gamma ,\delta )=(\frac{\pi }{4},\frac{\pi }{4})`$ . For $`k>\sqrt{2}`$, this line emanates from the point on the boundary of the double rolling region for which $`\upsilon =0`$, and ends at $`(\gamma ,\delta )=(\frac{\pi }{4},\frac{\pi }{4})`$ (dashed lines in Fig. 2). As for the double rolling $`\upsilon =0`$ line, this line separates the low-$`\gamma `$ clockwise rolling from the high-$`\gamma `$ counterclockwise rolling.

Much discussion of the statics of granular media has emphasized the two limits of plastic and linear elastic behavior. Clearly the rolling-sliding regime of the ball in the groove is a good analog to plastic behavior–in this regime, the problem is isostatic, meaning that the number of independent forces is identical to the number of constraints. In the double rolling regime, the state of the ball is specified by its displacements, as in conventional elasticity theory. However, minimization of the strain energies corresponding to the contact forces plays no role in resolving the stress indeterminacy.

It is instructive to consider the relationship between the forces and the underlying degrees of freedom $`Z`$, $`\beta _L`$, $`\upsilon `$, and $`d_{(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{L}{R})}`$. The four forces $`T_{(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{L}{R})}`$ and $`N_{(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{L}{R})}`$ are functions of these five underlying variables. In the double-rolling regime, $`d_{(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{L}{R})}=0`$, and there are only three active variables, which are then uniquely fixed by the equations of static equilibrium. We call this an isokinetic configuration, because the number of kinetic degrees of freedom equals the number of constraints enforcing equilibrium.

On the other hand, as one passes into the isostatic rolling-sliding regime, one acquires a new degree of freedom $`d_L`$, so that there are now four underlying active degrees of freedom. However, one of these degrees of freedom is used to fix $`T_L=kN_L`$, so in practice there are three degrees of freedom remaining to satisfy the equations of static equilibrium.

We are grateful to P.M. Chaikin and D. Levine for stimulating discussions.