Quantitative Scaling of Magnetic Avalanches.

We provide the first quantitative comparison between Barkhausen noise experiments and recent predictions from the theory of avalanches for pinned interfaces, both in and beyond mean field. We study different classes of soft magnetic materials, including polycrystals and amorphous samples-which are characterized by long-range and short-range elasticity, respectively-both for thick and thin samples, i.e., with and without eddy currents. The temporal avalanche shape at fixed size as well as observables related to the joint distribution of sizes and durations are analyzed in detail. Both long-range and short-range samples with no eddy currents are fitted extremely well by the theoretical predictions. In particular, the short-range samples provide the first reliable test of the theory beyond mean field. The thick samples show systematic deviations from the scaling theory, providing unambiguous signatures for the presence of eddy currents.

Renormalization of pinned elastic systems: how does it work beyond one loop?

We study the field theories for pinned elastic systems at equilibrium and at depinning. Their beta functions differ to two loops by novel "anomalous" terms. At equilibrium we find a roughness zeta = 0.208 298 04 epsilon + 0.006 858 epsilon(2) (random bond), zeta = epsilon/3 (random field). At depinning we prove two-loop renormalizability and that random field attracts shorter range disorder. We find zeta = epsilon/3(1 + 0.143 31 epsilon), epsilon = 4 - d, in violation of the conjecture zeta = epsilon/3, solving the discrepancy with simulations. For long range elasticity zeta = epsilon/3(1 + 0.397 35 epsilon), epsilon = 2 - d, much closer to the experimental value (approximately 0.5 both for liquid helium contact line depinning and slow crack fronts) than the standard prediction 1/3.