Utilization of peridynamic theory for modeling at the nano-scale

Peridynamic theory is a new continuum mechanics formulation that has several advantages over the traditional approaches, such as Classical Continuum Mechanics (CCM) and Molecular Dynamics (MD). Due to its length-scale parameter, horizon, it is capable of capturing phenomena occurring at different length scales, including the nano-scale. Furthermore, van der Waals forces can be represented in a straightforward manner using a buffer-layer approach. In this chapter, various demonstration problems are presented to show the capability of peridynamics at the nano-scale, including nano-indentation and failure analysis of graphene sheets.