Asymptotic analysis and qualitative behavior at the free boundary for Sacks-Uhlenbeck \(\alpha \)-harmonic maps (Q2071625)

Recall that for a map \(u\in C^2(M, N)\) its energy is defined as \(E(u) =\int_M |\nabla_g u|^2 d\,\mathrm{vol}_g\). Let \(K\subset N\) be a \(k\)-dimensional closed submanifold, where \(1 \leq k \leq n-1\) (\(n=\dim N\)). Define \(C(K) =\{u\in\,C^2(M,N); u(\partial M)\subset K\}\). A critical point of the energy \(E\) over \(C(K)\) is a harmonic map with free boundary \(u(\partial M)\) on \(K\). To prove the existence of harmonic maps from a closed Riemann surface, Sacks-Uhlenbeck introduced the following perturbed energy functional in their seminal work [\textit{J. Sacks} and \textit{K. Uhlenbeck}, Ann. Math. (2) 113, 1--24 (1981; Zbl 0462.58014)]: \[ E_{\alpha}(u) =\int_M(1+|\nabla_gu|^2)^{\alpha}\,d \mathrm{vol}_g,\qquad (\alpha>1) \] This is the \(\alpha\)-energy functional and its critical points are precisely the \(\alpha\)-harmonic maps. The authors investigate the blow-up behavior of \(\alpha\)-harmonic maps at a free boundary and show that the limits of the necks between bubbles can have a more general nature than just geodesics on the target manifold, involving also the geometry of the free boundary. The paper is organized as follows. In the first section (introduction), the authors state the problem and their main results (Theorems 1.1 and 1.2). In the second section, the authors ``derive some basic lemmas for \(\alpha\)-harmonic maps at the free boundary, such as small energy localization, small energy regularity and several Pohozaev type identities'' as well as ``recall the removable singularity theorem and the energy gap theorem for harmonic maps with free boundary''. Finally, in the last two sections the authors give detailed proofs of their results.