The continuum disordered pinning model (Q2634895)

The inspiration for the present research comes from the applied theory (physics and biology) of directed polymers in random environment and general random polymer models [\textit{G. Giacomin}, Random polymer models. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific (2007; Zbl 1125.82001)]. There, disorder and critical phenomena have been addressed with the aid of basic probability tools. In particular, the disordered pinning models were defined via a Gibbs change of the measure of a renewal process, depending on an external i.i.d. random environment. In the present paper, a continuum disordered pinning model (CDPM) is introduced (strictly speaking it derives from a properly conditioned version of the disordered pinning model, known to be related to a renewal process). Any involved renewal process with a polynomial tail with exponent \(\alpha \in (0,1)\) has a nontrivial scaling limit (convergence in distribution), known as the \(\alpha \)-stable regenerative set. It is found that the CDPM arises via a universal scaling limit that exists for \(\alpha \in (1/2,1)\). This indicates the disorder relevance for pinning models with such an \(\alpha \) and stays in correspondence with analogous observations for the directed polymer in random environment [\textit{T. Alberts} et al., J. Stat. Phys. 154, No. 1--2, 305--326 (2014; Zbl 1291.82143)]. The obtained random probability law is not absolutely continuous with respect to the reference probability law of the renewal process. To the contrary, the continuum model in the range \(\alpha \in (0, 1/2)\) is not disordered (it is purely deterministic), and the absolute continuity property holds true. Links of the theory with that of phase transitions in the weak disorder regime are mentioned. These refer, e.g., to the asymptotic behavior of the free energy and the critical curve of discrete pinning models.