Variational problems on multiply connected thin strips. II: Convergence of the Ginzburg-Landau functional (Q5957110)

Let \(M\) be a planar embedded graph whose arcs meet transversally at the vertices and denote by \({\mathcal O}(\varepsilon)\) a strip-shaped domain around \(M\), of width \(\varepsilon\) except in a neighborhood of the singular points. Under the assumption that the boundary of \({\mathcal O}(\varepsilon)\) is smooth, the authors define the Ginzburg-Landau energy functional \({\mathcal G}^\varepsilon (u,A)\) on \({\mathcal O}(\varepsilon)\). The main result of the paper concerns the asymptotic analysis of minimizers \((u^\varepsilon ,A^\varepsilon)\) to \({\mathcal G}^\varepsilon\) as \(\varepsilon\) tends to 0. More precisely, the authors prove that \(u^\varepsilon\) and \(A^\varepsilon\) converge in a prescribed sense to the minimizers of a simpler functional defined on \(M\). Another relevant result of the paper establishes that the Ginzburg-Landau energy functional on a thin set in two space dimensions can be approximated by a one-dimensional functional on a graph, in the sense that the supercurrents in \({\mathcal O}(\varepsilon)\) converge to one-dimensional currents in \(M\). The proofs rely heavily on several refined estimates for some elliptic differential operators on manifolds. [See also the review of Part I above].