The evolution equations for regularized Dirac-geodesics (Q899223)

The author studies the energy functional \[ E_\varepsilon(\gamma,\psi)=\frac12\int_{S^1}(|\gamma'|^2+<\psi,/\!\!\!\!D\psi>+\varepsilon|/\!\!\!\!D\psi|^2)ds, \] where \(\gamma:S^1\to N\), \(N\) being a compact Riemannian manifold without boundary. Moreover, \(\psi\) is a vector spinor, \(/\!\!\!\!D\) the Dirac operator acting on \(\psi\) and \(\varepsilon\) a positive number. This functional is a regularized version of the energy for Dirac-geodesics, which can be obtained in the limit \(\varepsilon\to 0\). The main theorem (an existence result for critical points of that energy functional) is obtained by using the \(L^2\)-gradient flow, which is given by the following set of coupled evolution equations: \[ (a)\quad {\frac{\partial\gamma_t}{\partial t}} = \tau(\gamma_t)-{\mathcal R}(\gamma_t,\psi_t)-\varepsilon{\mathcal R}_c(\gamma_t,\psi_t), \] \[ (b)\quad {\frac{\widetilde\nabla}{\partial t}} = \varepsilon\widetilde\Delta\psi_t-/\!\!\!\!D\psi_t. \] Main theorem. For any sufficiently regular initial data \((\gamma_0,\psi_0)\) and any \(\varepsilon>0\) there exists a unique smooth solution of (a) and (b) for all \(t\in[0,\infty)\). If \(\varepsilon\geq1\), the evolution equations subconverge at infinity, that is, there exists a sequence \(t_k\to\infty\) such that \((\gamma_{t_k},\psi_{t_k})\to(\gamma_\infty,\psi_\infty)\) in \(C^2\), where \((\gamma_\infty,\psi_\infty)\) is a regularized Dirac-geodesic homotopic to \((\gamma_0,\psi_0)\). In the last section, the author proves the following lemma, that shows how the critical points of \(E(\gamma,\psi)\) and \(E_\varepsilon(\gamma,\psi)\) are related to each other: Lemma. A Dirac-geodesic is a regularized Dirac-geodesic. Conversely, if \((\gamma_\varepsilon,\psi_\varepsilon)\) is a critical point of \(E_\varepsilon(\gamma,\psi)\) and \(\varepsilon\neq-1/\lambda_\varepsilon\), where \(\lambda_\varepsilon\) is an eigenvalue of the Dirac operator \(/\!\!\!\!D_\varepsilon\) along \(\gamma_\varepsilon\), then \((\gamma_\varepsilon,\psi_\varepsilon)\) is also a critical point of \(E(\gamma,\psi)\).