Horizontal coupling in continuum atomistics

Abstract One of the most important challenges in mechanics is the modelling of the phenomenological mechanical behavior of crystals, i. e. understanding material phenomena such as the occurrence of dislocations, vacancies and micro-cracks and their propagation, in order to understand more about how and why materials fail. To provide a reasonable and comprehensive answer to these questions it is necessary to delve deep into the material taking into account the behavior of the atoms, i. e. what happens at the nanoscale.