An atomistic derivation of von-K\'arm\'an plate theory

Abstract

We derive von-K\'arm\'an plate theory from three dimensional, purely atomistic models with classical particle interaction. This derivation is established as a $\Gamma$-limit when considering the limit where the interatomic distance $\varepsilon$ as well as the thickness of the plate $h$ tend to zero. In particular, our analysis includes the ultrathin case where $\varepsilon \sim h$, leading to a new von-K\'arm\'an plate theory for finitely many layers.