Crossover scaling: A renormalization group approach

We derive a theory of crossover scaling based on a scaling variable gξg, where g is the anisotropy parameter inducing the crossover and ξg is the correlation length in the presence of g. Our considerations are field theoretic and based on a renormalization group with a g dependent differential generator that interpolates between qualitatively different degrees of freedom. ξg is a nonlinear scaling field for this renormalization group and interpolates between (T – Tc(g))–v0 and (T – Tc(g))–v∞ (v0 and v∞ being the isotropic and anisotropic exponents respectively). By expanding about a ‘floating’ fixed point we can make corrections to scaling small throughout the crossover. In this formulation effective scaling exponents obey standard scaling laws, e. g. γeff = veff(2 – ɳeff). We discuss its advantages giving for various crossovers explicit supporting perturbative calculations of the susceptibility, which is found to conform to the general form derived from the g dependent renormalization group.