  We investigate the zero-temperature quantum phase transition of the random
bond Ising chain in a transverse magnetic field. Its critical properties are
identical to those of the McCoy-Wu model, which is a classical Ising model in
two dimensions with layered disorder. The latter is studied via Monte Carlo
simulations and transfer matrix calculations and the critical exponents are
determined with a finite-size scaling analysis. The magnetization and
susceptibility obey conventional rather than activated scaling. We observe that
the order parameter-- and correlation function--probability distribution show a
nontrivial scaling near the critical point which implies a hierarchy of
critical exponents associated with the critical behavior of the generalized
correlation lengths.
