Concave Foliated Flag Structures and the $\text{SL}_3(\mathbb{R})$ Hitchin Component

Abstract

We give a geometric characterization of flag geometries associated to Hitchin representations in $\text{SL}_3(\mathbb{R})$. Our characterization is based on distinguished invariant foliations, similar to those studied by Guichard-Wienhard in $\text{PSL}_4(\mathbb{R})$. We connect to the dynamics of Hitchin representations by constructing refraction flows for all positive roots in general $\mathfrak{sl}_n(\mathbb{R})$ in our setting. For $n = 3$, leaves of our one-dimensional foliations are flow-lines. One consequence is that the highest root flows are $C^{1+\alpha}$.