A weak energy identity and the length of necks for a sequence of Sacks-Uhlenbeck \(\alpha \)-harmonic maps (Q2637907)

The authors discuss the convergence behavior of a sequence of \(\alpha\)-harmonic maps with uniform bound on energy from a compact surface into a compact Riemannian manifold, and they prove a generalized energy identity and no-neck property. Because the energy functional does not satisfy the well-known Palais-Smale condition, one can consider so called \(\alpha\)-energy functionals: The authors consider more general \(\alpha\)-energy functionals which are of the form \[ E_{\alpha, \epsilon_\alpha}(u) = \int_M \left( \epsilon_\alpha + |\nabla_g u|^2\right)^\alpha \, dv_g \] with \(\alpha >1\) and \(0< \epsilon_\alpha <1\). Let \(B_\sigma = B_\sigma(0)\) be a ball in \({\mathbb R}^2\), \(g_\alpha = e^{\varphi_\alpha}ds^2\) and \(g_0 = e^{\varphi} ds^2\) be a family of metrics on \(B_\sigma\), where \(ds^2\) is the flat metric on \({\mathbb R}^2\), \(\varphi_\alpha \in C^\infty(\overline{B_\sigma})\), \(\varphi_\alpha(0) = 0\) and \(\varphi_\alpha\) converges smoothly to \(\varphi \in C^\infty(\overline{B_\sigma})\). Assume \(u_\alpha : (B_\sigma, g_\alpha) \to N (\alpha \to 1)\) is a sequence of maps, each \(u_\alpha\) of which is a critical point of the corresponding functional \(E_{\alpha, \epsilon_\alpha}(u, B_\sigma)\) with \(E_{\alpha, \epsilon_\alpha}(u_\alpha, B_\sigma) \leq C\) for any \(0 < \alpha \leq 1\) and \(0 < \beta_0 < \lim_{\alpha\to 1} \epsilon_\alpha^{\alpha-1} \leq 1;\) moreover, \(u_\alpha \to u_0\) in \(C_{\text loc}^\infty(B_\sigma \setminus \{0\}, N)\) and there are \(n_0\) bubbles \(v_j : S^2 \to N\) at point \(0\). Here \(C\) and \(\beta_0\) are positive constants. Then the authors prove the following energy identity \[ \lim_{\delta \to 0}\lim_{\alpha \to 1} \int_{B_\delta(0)} \left(\epsilon_\alpha + |\nabla g_\alpha u_\alpha|^2\right)^\alpha\, dv_{g_\alpha} = \sum_{j=1}^{n_0} \mu_j^2 E(v_j), \] where \(\mu_j = \liminf_{\alpha\to 1} \left(\lambda_\alpha^j\right)^{2-2\alpha}\) and \(\mu_j\) is a positive constant appearing in the relation between the blow-up radius and the parameter \(\alpha\). On the other hand, under the assumptions mentioned above except replacing existence of \(n_0\) bubbles by only one bubble \(v : S^2 \to N\) in \(B_\sigma\), the authors show some properties of the necks joining bubbles. More precisely, letting \(\nu:= \liminf_{\alpha\to 1} \left(\lambda_\alpha\right)^{-\sqrt{\alpha-1}}\), if \(\nu = 1\), then \(u_0(B_\sigma)\cup v(S^2)\) is a connected subset of \(N\). If \(\nu\) is finite which is greater than one, then the set \(u_0(B_\sigma)\) and \(v(S^2)\) are connected by a geodesic of finite length. If \(\nu\) is infinite, then the neck contains at least an infinite length of geodesic.