Dynamics of Ginzburg-Landau vortices for vector fields on surfaces (Q6056513)

In this work, the authors study tangent vector fields on a closed Riemannian surface \(M\) which evolve according to the gradient flow of a Ginzburg-Landau energy \[ \int_M \frac 12 |Du|^2 + \frac{1}{\epsilon^2} (|u|^2-1)^2, \] where \(\epsilon\ll 1\). Tangent fields with energy of order \(|\ln\epsilon|\) concentrate their energy near a finite number of topologically charged singularities \(a_j\in M\) with degree \(d_j\in \mathbb{Z}\), called vortices, and generate a harmonic one-form \(\xi\) on \(M\) constrained by the vortices. For fixed \(a_j\), \(d_j\) and \(\xi\), the asymptotic expansion to \(o(1)\) of the minimal energy has been given by \textit{R. Ignat} and \textit{R. L. Jerrard} [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 239, No. 3, 1577--1666 (2021; Zbl 1462.35375)]. The \(O(1)\) terms involve a renormalized energy \(W((a_j),(d_j),\xi)\). Here the authors consider well-prepared initial data with energy given by that minimal asymptotic expansion, and prove that (on the right time-scale) the vortices \(a_j(t)\) evolve according to the gradient flow of the renormalized energy, with fixed degrees \(d_j\), on the time-interval where it is defined (that is, up to a first collision). This is a natural analog of known results in planar domains, and the proof follows the strategy of \textit{E. Sandier} and \textit{S. Serfaty} [Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 57, No. 12, 1627--1672 (2004; Zbl 1065.49011)], but requires particular case to adapt it to the present setting.