Dr. Chen presented work on Peridynamic Strain Tensor at the EMI2019

The peridynamics is a framework for continuum mechanics based on the idea that pairs of particles exert forces on each other across a finite distance. The horizon size defines this interaction range. The equation of motion in the peridynamics is an integro-differential equation, thus peridynamics avoid issues with spatial singularities such as cracking otherwise exists in continuum mechanics. In this paper, a notion of a peridynamic strain tensor derived from pairwise stretch is defined. At any point in the body, this strain tensor is obtained from the stretch within peridynamic bonds that geometrically go through the point.