Twisted-austere submanifolds in Euclidean space (Q2023427)

This paper studies so-called \textit{twisted-austere pairs}, given by \((M,\mu)\) with \(M^k \subset \mathbb{R}^n\) a Riemannian submanifold of dimension \(k\), \(\mu\) a 1-form on \(M\), and such that the subbundle \(N^*M + \mu \subset T^* \mathbb{R}^n \cong \mathbb{C}^n\) is a special Lagrangian submanifold. This condition imposes strong constraints on the geometry of the submanifold \(M\). More precisely: for any normal direction \(\nu\) to \(M\), the second fundamental form \(A^{\nu}\) of \(M\) along \(\nu\), and the 1-form \(\mu\) have to satisfy a certain system of coupled non-linear PDE's, called the \textit{twisted-austere equations}. The case \(\mu=0\) is well known, and the corresponding submanifolds \(M\) are called \textit{austere}; this case is characterized by the condition that the spectrum \(\sigma(A^{\nu})\) has to satisfy \(-\sigma(A^{\nu})=\sigma(A^{\nu})\) as a set. In particular, austere submanifolds are minimal. After reviewing the PDE's of twisted-austere pairs \((M,\mu)\), a complete classification of these pairs is given firstly for the easy case when \(M\) is totally geodesic, secondly for dimensions \(k=1,2\), and thirdly for dimension \(k=3\). For dimension \(k=1\) it is proved that \(M\) is a straight line, and for \(k=2\) it is shown that \(M\) has to be a minimal surface and \(\mu\) an harmonic \(1\)-form on \(M\). The case \(k=3\) is the bulk of the paper, and its classification consists of a careful analysis of the twisted-austere equations. The main conclusion (Theorem 3.1.) is that either \(M^3 \subset \mathbb{R}^n\) is ruled by lines, or \(n=5\) and \(M^3 \subset \mathbb{R}^5\) is a generalized helicoid ruled by planes.