Department of Physics Papers
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
10-28-1996
Publication Source
Physical Review Letters
Volume
77
Issue
18
Start Page
3700
Last Page
3703
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevLett.77.3700
Abstract
The distributions P(X) of singular thermodynamic quantities, on an ensemble of d-dimensional quenched random samples of linear size L near a critical point, are analyzed using the renormalization group. For L much larger than the correlation length ξ, we recover strong self-averaging (SA): P(X) approaches a Gaussian with relative squared width RX~(L/ξ)−d. For L≪ξ we show weak SA (RX decays with a small power of L) or no SA [P(X) approaches a non-Gaussian, with universal L-independent relative cumulants], when the randomness is irrelevant or relevant, respectively.
Recommended Citation
Aharony, A., & Harris, A. (1996). Absence of Self-Averaging and Universal Fluctuations in Random Systems Near Critical Points. Physical Review Letters, 77 (18), 3700-3703. http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.77.3700
Date Posted: 20 August 2015
This document has been peer reviewed.