Critical dynamical heterogeneities close to continuous second-order glass transitions

Abstract

We analyse, using Inhomogenous Mode-Coupling Theory, the critical scaling behaviour of the dynamical susceptibility at a distance epsilon from continuous second-order glass transitions. We find that the dynamical correlation length xi behaves generically as epsilon^{-1/3} and that the upper critical dimension is equal to six. More surprisingly, we find activated dynamic scaling, where xi grows with time as [ln(t)]^2 exactly at criticality. All these results suggest a deep analogy between the glassy behaviour of attractive colloids or randomly pinned supercooled liquids and that of the Random Field Ising Model.