Stable periodic constant mean curvature surfaces and mesoscopic phase separation (Q2470870)

The author's first theorem concerns a compact, orientable surface \(\Sigma\) embedded with constant mean curvature in the flat 3-torus \({\mathbb R}^3/\Gamma\), where \(\Gamma\) is a lattice. It is shown that if \(\Sigma\) is stable, meaning that it minimizes area up to second order for volume preserving deformations, then \(\Sigma\) fits one of five mathematical descriptions enumerated in the theorem. The author notes that these five mathematical descriptions correspond to mesoscale phase separations that occur in diblock copolymer melts. The author's second theorem concerns a stable, compact, orientable surface \(\Sigma\) immersed with constant mean curvature in the flat 3-manifold \({\mathbb R}^3/\Gamma\), where \(\Gamma\) is a rank \(k\) discrete subgroup of translations of \({\mathbb R}^3\). In this case, \(\Sigma\) is shown to be either a finite family of planar surfaces, or a connected surface of genus \(g\leq k\). A final theorem shows that if \(\Sigma\) is a stable, compact, orientable surface embedded with constant mean curvature in \(M\times{\mathbb R}\), where \(M\) is a complete, orientable surface with nonnegative Gaussian curvature, then either (1) \(M\) is compact and \(\Sigma\) is a finite union of horizontal slices, or (2) \(\Sigma\) is a connected surface with genus \(g\leq 2\).