Bending the helicoid (Q2458855)

In [The space of embedded minimal surfaces of fixed genus in a 3-manifold IV; Locally simply-connected, Ann. Math. 160, 573--615 (2004; Zbl 1076.53069)], \textit{T. H. Colding} and \textit{W. P. Minicozzi II} proved that every locally simply connected sequence \(\{ M_n\}_{n \in\mathbb N}\) of embedded minimal surfaces in a Riemannian three-manifold \(N\) has a subsequence which converges to a (possibly singular) limit minimal lamination \(\mathcal L \) of \(N.\) When \(\mathcal L\) is nonsingular it gives a minimal foliation of \(N\) and in that case the singular set of \(C^1\)-convergence consists of a properly embedded locally finite collection \(S (\mathcal L)\) of curves that intersect the leaves of \(\mathcal L\) transversally. This limit foliation \(\mathcal L\) is referred to as a Colding-Minicozzi limit minimal lamination. In the work under review the authors are interested in understanding which curves appear as the singular set of a Colding-Minicozzi limit minimal lamination in open domains of \(\mathbb R^3.\) They prove that every properly embedded \(C^{1, 1}\)-curve \(\alpha\) in an open set in \(\mathbb R^3\) has a neighborhood foliated by a Colding-Minicozzi limit minimal lamination \(\mathcal L\) with the singular set of \(C^1\)-convergence being \(\alpha .\) The minimal leaves of this lamination are a \(C^{1, 1}\)-family of pairwise disjoint flat disks of varying radii. The disks are centered on and orthogonal to \(\alpha .\) The proof is first done in the case when \(\alpha\) is analytic and then using an approximation argument. When \(\alpha\) is analytic a compact exhaustion \(\{ \alpha (n)\}_{n\in\mathbb N}\) of \(\alpha\) by compact connected arcs \(\alpha (n)\) is considered and a sequence of compact embedded bent helicoids \(H_{\alpha , n}\) is considered (based on the classical Björling formula) which contain \(\alpha (n) \subset \alpha\) as an ``axis'' and with Gauss map rotating faster and faster along \(\alpha (n)\) as \(n \to \infty .\) The authors show that \(H_{\alpha , n}\) is embedded in a fixed neighborhood of \(\alpha (n)\) and that \(H_{\alpha , n}\) converge to a family of pairwise disjoint flat disks of varying size orthogonal to \(\alpha .\) In the case when \(\alpha\) is the unit circle \(S^1(1)\) in the \((x_1, x_2)\)-plane, one chooses \(\alpha (n) = \alpha\) for all \(n\) and each compact annular bent helicoid \(\bar H_n:= H_{\alpha , n}\) contains \(\alpha\) and the sequence \(\{\bar H_n \} \) converges to the limit minimal foliation \(\alpha \) of \(\mathbb R^3 - x_3\)-axis by vertical half-planes and with \(S (\mathcal L) = \alpha = S^1(1)\) being the singular set of \(C^1\)-convergence.