Robin nullity and asymptotic geometry of the critical hyperbolic catenoid

Abstract

For each parameter $a>1$, the critical hyperbolic catenoid $\Sigma_a$ is a rotationally symmetric, free boundary minimal annulus in a geodesic ball $B^3(r(a))\subset\mathbb{H}^3$. The Morse index of $\Sigma_a$ is at least $4$ by Medvedev [7], who conjectures equality. In this paper we identify a new geometric and spectral phenomenon for the family $\{\Sigma_a\}_{a>1}$, which we call "parameter-criticality", and study its consequences for the Robin spectrum. Specifically, we prove two main results: (I) Parameter-criticality (Theorem 1.5). The boundary radius $r(a)$ is non-monotone on $(1,\infty)$: it satisfies $r'(1^+)<0$ and $r(a)=\frac{3}{2}\log a+d_\infty+o(1)$ as $a\to\infty$ with $d_\infty=\log[\Gamma(1/4)/\Gamma(3/4)]-\frac{1}{2}\log(2\pi)$ (Theorem 1.4). Hence there exists a parameter-critical value $a^\sharp\in(1,\infty)$ with $r'(a^\sharp)=0$. (II) Robin nullity jump (Theorem 1.6). At every such $a^\sharp$, the Robin nullity of $\Sigma_{a^\sharp}$ satisfies $\text{nul}(L_{\Sigma_{a^\sharp}})\geq 3$, with an additional kernel element in mode $k=0$ generated by the parametric variation field $j_a=\langle\partial_a\Phi_a,\nu\rangle_L|_{a=a^\sharp}$, which we show is non-vanishing at the catenoid neck via the closed-form $j_a(0)=1/(2\sqrt{a^2-1})$. The argument requires the limit $r_0:=\lim_{a\to 1^+}r(a)$ characterized as the unique positive solution of the transcendental equation $\tanh(r_0)\,\tanh(2r_0/\sqrt{3})=\sqrt{3}/2$ (Theorem 1.3), giving a clean parametrization of the degeneration $\Sigma_a\to\Sigma_1$. The Robin nullity of $\Sigma_a$ in mode $|k|=1$ is shown to equal $2$ (Proposition 1.1); this extends to the hyperbolic setting the mode-by-mode Fourier decomposition technique of Devyver [2] for the Euclidean critical catenoid, and is used in the proof of (II) to identify the extra kernel as a mode-$k=0$ phenomenon.