Dirac-harmonic maps from index theory (Q353131)

Let \((M, g)\) and\((N, h)\) be compact Riemannian manifolds, and assume that \(M\) carries a fixed spin structure. A fermionic energy functional is defined on pairs \((f, \Phi)\), where \(f: M\to N\) is a map and \(\Phi\) is a spinor on \(M\) twisted by \(f^*TN\), as \[ L(f, \Phi) = \frac{1}{2}\int_M \left(|df|^2 + \langle \Phi, \mathcal D^f \Phi\rangle \right)\, dv_g, \] where \(\mathcal D^f\) is the Dirac operator on spinors twisted by \(f^*TN\). Stationary points \((f_0, \Phi_0)\) of this functional are called Dirac-harmonic maps. They are characterized by the equations \(\mathcal D^{f_0} \Phi_0 = 0\) and \(\text{tr}_g(\nabla df_0) = \frac{V_0}{2}\), where \(V_0\) is a section of \(f_0^*TN\) involving some curvature of \(N\). In this paper, the authors prove existence results for Dirac-harmonic maps using index theoretical tools. These results are interesting in main if \(M\) has dimension \(1\) or \(2\) modulo \(8\). In dimension divisible by \(4\), the results follow directly from the Atiya-Singer index theorem and the grading techniques described by authors. Moreover theses solutions are uncoupled in the sense that the underlying map between \(M\) and \(N\) is a harmonic map. The first existence result for Dirac-harmonic maps, which appears in [\textit{Q. Chen} et al., Math. Z. 254, No. 2, 409--432 (2006; Zbl 1103.53033)] for \(M=N = {\mathbb S}^2\) and then in [\textit{J. Jost} et al., J. Geom. Phys. 59, No. 11, 1512--1527 (2009; Zbl 1183.58011)] for general surfaces \(M\), is based on an explicit construction involving a harmonic map and so-called twister-spinors on \(M\).