9630064 Fisher This grant continues the support of this well respected PI in several aspects of statistical physics. The PI has made significant contributions to the class of problems involving interplay between quenched randomness and thermal and quantum fluctuations. The current focus is on random quantum magnets, topological vortices in dirty type II superconductors and spin glasses. Another aspect of this grant explores nonlinearly driven systems which have threshold effects and respond at many spatial and temporal scales. The examples are dynamics of fracture in solids, friction, motion of geological faults, dielectric breakdown and critical currents in superconductors. Finally there is one project involving the recently developed dynamic mean field theories (the infinite dimension limit) and their applications to the problem of strongly interacting electrons. %%% This grant continues the work on a broad range of problems, related by certain underlying mathematical similarities. One class of problems include the motion of geological faults, dynamics of fracture in solids, dielectric breakdown and properties of distribution of intense current in a superconductor. In another class of problems, there are random quantum magnets, propagation of magnetic vortices in a superconductor etc. These problems are noted for their complexity, novelty and a broad range of applications. ***
