The spectral theorem for bimodules in higher rank graph \(C^*\) algebras (Q819221)

Certain \(C^ *\)-algebras can be coordinatized, in the sense that elements of the algebra are continuous functions on an appropriate topological space, with a convolution-type multiplication. When this occurs, there usually is a natural abelian \(C^ *\)-subalgebra lurking nearby. Coordinates can often be used to deduce interesting structural properties of the algebra. When a \(C^ *\)-algebra is given as a groupoid \(C^ *\)-algebra, the groupoid provides a system of coordinates and the elements of the algebra supported on the unit space of the groupoid provide the abelian subalgebra. Given a coordinitized \(C^ *\)-algebra \({\mathcal C}\) with abelian \(C^ *\)-subalgebra \({\mathcal D}\), it is natural to ask whether the coordinates can be used to describe the norm-closed \({\mathcal D}\)-bimodules \({\mathcal M}\subseteq {\mathcal C}\). This was done by \textit{P.~S.\ Muhly, C.--X.\ Qiu} and \textit{B.~Solel} [J.~Oper.\ Theory 26, 313--332 (1991; Zbl 0791.46033)] in the context of \(C^ *(G\)), where \(G\) is a locally compact, \(r\)-discrete, principal, measurewise amenable groupoid: roughly speaking, they showed that such bimodules correspond in a bijective fashion to open subsets of the groupoid, and a given bimodule is the collection of functions supported in the open subset corresponding to it. This result has been called the spectral theorem for bimodules. Directed graph \(C^ *\)-algebras are examples of groupoid \(C^ *\)-algebras which need not fit into the Muhly--Qiu--Solel framework, and \textit{A.~Hopenwasser, J.~Peters} and \textit{S.~Power} [New York J.\ Math.\ 11, 351--386 (2005; Zbl 1083.47064)] showed that the spectral theorem for bimodules can fail for certain bimodules in graph \(C^ *\)-algebras. Nevertheless, when the graph is range finite with no sources, the bimodules which can be described using the coordinates were characterized in that paper. The purpose of the paper under review is to extend the Hopenwasser--Peters--Power result to the case of \(C^*\)-algebras of higher rank graphs. The main result is a direct analog of the Hopenwasser--Peters--Power result and can be stated as follows. Let \(\Lambda\) be a row-finite \(k\)-graph with no sources and let \({\mathcal G}\) be the associated path groupoid with unit space \({\mathcal G}^ 0\). Then the following are equivalent for a \(C_ 0({\mathcal G}^ 0)\)-bimodule \({\mathcal B}\subseteq C^ *({\mathcal G})\): (a) \({\mathcal B}\) is determined by its support in \({\mathcal G}\); (b) \({\mathcal B}\) is generated by the Cuntz--Krieger partial isometries it contains; (c) \({\mathcal B}\) is invariant under the gauge automorphism group. The paper concludes with a result showing that, under the same hypotheses of the previous paragraph, \(C_ 0({\mathcal G}^ 0)\) is a MASA in \(C^ *({\mathcal G})\) if and only if \({\mathcal G}^ 0\) is the interior of the isotropy group bundle for \({\mathcal G}\).