\(\mathbb{R}\)-covered foliations and transverse pseudo-Anosov flows in atoroidal pieces (Q6041352)

Let \(M\) be a closed 3-manifold and \(\mathcal{F}\) be a transversely oriented 2-dimensional foliation in \(M\) which is \(\mathbb{R}\)-covered. A foliation is called \(\mathbb{R}\)-covered if the leaf space of the foliation in the universal cover is homeomorphic to \(\mathbb{R}\). The foliation \(\mathcal{F}\) is further assumed to have Gromov hyperolic leaves. The article under review concerns the existence of a pseudo-Anosov flow transverse to \(\mathcal{F}\) which is regulating, that is, every lift of a flow line in the universal cover intersects all lifted leaves of \(\mathcal{F}\). When \(M\) is atoroidal (and hence hyperbolic), it is shown in [\textit{D. Calegari}, Geom. Topol. 4, 457--515 (2000; Zbl 0964.57014)] and [\textit{S. R. Fenley}, Comment. Math. Helv. 77, No. 3, 415--490 (2002; Zbl 1010.57008)] that regulating transverse pseudo-Anosov flow exists. The main theorem of the article extends this result to a more general class of closed 3-manifolds, which are not necessarily atoroidal nor Seifert fibered. Let \(M\) be a closed 3-manifold with an atoroidal piece \(P\) in the JSJ decomposition which is not a product (such \(P\) is called truly atoroidal) and \(\mathcal{F}\) be a foliation described above. In this setting, the article constructs a flow regulating and transverse to \(\mathcal{F}\). Moreover, such a flow is pseudo-Anosov in atoroidal pieces of \(M\) in the JSJ decomposition, as desired. The precise statement of the main theorem is that there exists a flow \(\Phi\) in a representative of \(P\) which is a blow up of a one prong pseudo-Anosov flow and is regulating and transverse to \(\mathcal{F}\) restricted to \(P\). Furthermore, it is shown in the main theorem that the union of all regular periodic orbits of \(\Phi\) is dense in \(P\). A corollary of the main theorem is that if \(\gamma \in \pi_1(M)\) is a periodic orbit of \(\Phi\) in the interior of \(P\), then up to a finite iterate, the action of \(\gamma\) on the universal circle of \(\mathcal{F}\) has finitely many fixed points, which are attracting and repelling. If \(\gamma\) is a regular orbit, then the number of fixed points is exactly 4.