We propose a statistical model for static and sliding friction between rough surfaces. Approximating the contact between rough surfaces by the contact of an ensemble of one-dimensional viscoelastic elements with a rough rigid surface, we study the collective behavior of the elements. We find that collective response of the contacts can lead to macroscopic behavior very different from the microscopic behavior. Specifically, various observed features of friction emerge as collective phenomena, without postulating them directly at the microscale. We discuss how parameters in our model can be related to material and surface properties of the contacting surfaces. We compare our results to commonly used rate and state phenomenological models, and propose a new interpretation of the state variable.
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