Dramatic role of critical current anisotropy on flux avalanches in MgB2   films
  Anisotropic penetration of magnetic flux in MgB2 films grown on vicinal sapphire substrates is investigated using magneto-optical imaging. Regular penetration above 10 K proceeds more easily along the substrate surface steps, anisotropy of the critical current being 6%. At lower temperatures the penetration occurs via abrupt dendritic avalanches that preferentially propagate {\em perpendicular} to the surface steps. This inverse anisotropy in the penetration pattern becomes dramatic very close to 10 K where all flux avalanches propagate in the strongest-pinning direction. The observed behavior is fully explained using a thermomagnetic model of the dendritic instability. 
J. Albrecht, A. T. Matveev, J. Strempfer, H.-U. Habermeier, D. V.   Shantsev, Y. M. Galperin and T. H. Johansen