The Hertz problem for a rigid spherical indenter and a viscoelastic half-space

Abstract The penetration of a viscoelastic half-space by a rigid spherical indenter is investigated in a quasi static approximation. Solutions to the problem are obtained for monotonic contact radius and also when the radius possesses a single maximum. The analysis is used to estimate the duration of contact and coefficient of restitution for the Hertzian impact of a spherical indenter on a Maxwell solid.