Stark units in \(\mathbb{Z}_p\)-extensions (Q644312)

For a finite abelian extension \(K/k\) of number fields and for a prime \(p\), let \(K_\infty\) be a \({\mathbb Z}_p\)-extension of \(K\) that is abelian over \(k\). Let \(G_\infty\) denote the Galois group of \(K_\infty/k\) and let \(\Lambda_\infty = {\mathbb Z}_p[[G_\infty]]\), the Iwasawa algebra. The authors study the connection between two \(\Lambda_\infty\)-modules associated to \(K_\infty\). The first is \(\overline{\text{St}}_\infty\), the projective limit of \({\mathbb Z}_p\otimes\text{St}_n\), where \(\text{St}_n\) is a certain group constructed via Stark units in the \(n\)th layer of \(K_\infty/K\). In particular, if \(k={\mathbb Q}\) and \(p\neq 2\), then \(\overline{\text{St}}_\infty\) is the projective limit of cyclotomic units. The second module is \(U_{K_\infty}\), a submodule of the \({\mathbb Q}_p\)-algebra \({\mathbb Q}_p \otimes \Lambda_\infty\). One may consider \(U_{K_\infty}\) to be the torsion free part of the universal distribution determined by the Stark units. In the case \(k={\mathbb Q}\) this module was introduced by \textit{W. Sinnott} [Invent. Math. 62, 181--234 (1980; Zbl 0465.12001)] in a study of the index of circular units in the cyclotomic \({\mathbb Z}_p\)-extension of \(K\). \textit{H. Oukhaba} [Bull. Soc. Math. Fr. 135, No. 2, 299--322 (2007; Zbl 1231.11065)] defined \(U_{K_\infty}\) when \(k\) is an imaginary quadratic field, in order to study the index of elliptic units in \({\mathbb Z}_p\)-extensions. Now the authors provide two sufficient conditions for \(U_{K_\infty}\) to be a free \(\Lambda_\infty\)-module. They find the exact connection between \(\overline{\text{St}}_\infty\) and \(U_{K_\infty}\) involving two ideals of \(\Lambda_\infty\), namely the augmentation ideal and the annihilator of \(p\)-power roots of unity in \(K_\infty\). The results may be used to determine the structure of \(\overline{\text{St}}_\infty\). If \(p\) does not divide \([K:k]\), then \(U_{K_\infty} = \Lambda_\infty\) and the structure of \(\overline{\text{St}}_\infty\) as a \(\Lambda_\infty\)-module is given completely.