Asymptotic behavior of the \(L^ 2\)-metric on moduli spaces of Yang-Mills connections. II (Q2365061)

Let \(E\) be an SU(2) vector bundle over a compact, simply connected oriented Riemannian 4-manifold \((M,g)\) with negative definite intersection form. Let \({\mathcal M}_{k,g}(M)\) denote the moduli space of anti-selfdual connections in \(E\) of Chern class \(k\geq 1\). The compactifications \(\overline{{\mathcal M}_{k,g}(M)}\) obtained by \textit{S. K. Donaldson} [J. Differ. Geom. 24, 275-341 (1986; Zbl 0635.57007)] are known to be stratified spaces. In the first part of this paper [Math. Z. 220, No. 1, 127-158 (1995; Zbl 0836.53018)] the author obtained estimates for the \(L^2\)-norms on \({\mathcal M}_{k,g}(M)\) near the first stratum provided that \(g\) is generic, i.e., provided that the deformation cohomology group \(H^2_A\) vanishes for all \([A]\in {\mathcal M}_{k-1,g}(M)\). The present paper generalises these results to estimates near strata of arbitrary codimension. As a corollary, the author can prove that the Donaldson compactification of \({\mathcal M}_{k,g}(M)\) coinicides with its completion with respect to the \(L^2\)-metric on \({\mathcal M}_{k,g}(M)\). Also, with respect to this metric, \({\mathcal M}_{k,g}(M)\) has finite diameter as well as finite volume.