arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Jason D. Lotay.
We prove existence and non-existence results for $L^2$ eigenforms for the Hodge Laplacian on complete non-compact Ricci flat manifolds with special holonomy, with a particular focus on gravitational instantons. We briefly describe the physical interpretation of these results in superstring and M-theory.
Nearly $G_2$-structures define positive Einstein metrics in $7$ dimensions and are critical points, up to scale, for a geometric flow of co-closed $G_2$-structures with good analytic properties called the modified $G_2$-Laplacian co-flow. We introduce a suitable normalization of this flow so that nearly $G_2$-structures are stable under rescaling. However, we show that many nearly $G_2$-structures are unstable for this flow: specifically, all those naturally arising from 3-Sasakian geometry. In particular, we demonstrate that the standard nearly $G_2$-structure on the round 7-sphere is an unstable critical point with high index.
The heterotic $SU(3)$ system, also known as the Hull--Strominger system, arises from compactifications of heterotic string theory to six dimensions. This paper investigates the local structure of the moduli space of solutions to this system on a compact 6-manifold $X$, using a vector bundle $Q=(T^{1,0}X)^* \oplus {End}(E) \oplus T^{1,0}X$, where $E\to X$ is the classical gauge bundle arising in the system. We establish that the moduli space has an expected dimension of zero. We achieve this by studying the deformation complex associated to a differential operator $\bar{D}$, which emulates a holomorphic structure on $Q$, and demonstrating an isomorphism between the two cohomology groups which govern the infinitesimal deformations and obstructions in the deformation theory for the system. We also provide a Dolbeault-type theorem linking these cohomology groups to \v{C}ech cohomology, a result which might be of independent interest, as well as potentially valuable for future research.
We introduce the coupled instanton equations for a metric, a spinor, a three-form, and a connection on a bundle, over a spin manifold. Special solutions in dimensions $6$ and $7$ arise, respectively, from the Hull--Strominger and the heterotic $\operatorname{G}_2$ system. The equations are motivated by recent developments in theoretical physics and can be recast using generalized geometry; we investigate how coupled instantons relate to generalized Ricci-flat metrics and also to Killing spinors on a Courant algebroid. We present two open questions regarding how these different geometric conditions are intertwined, for which a positive answer is expected from recent developments in the physics literature by De la Ossa, Larfors and Svanes, and in the mathematics literature on Calabi--Yau manifolds, in recent work by the second-named author with González Molina. We give a complete solution to the first of these problems, providing a new method for the construction of instantons in arbitrary dimensions. For $\operatorname{G}_2$-structures with torsion coupled to $\operatorname{G}_2$-instantons, in dimension $7$, we also establish results around the second problem. The last part of the present work carefully studies the approximate solutions to the heterotic $\operatorname{G}_2$-system constructed by the third and fourth authors on contact Calabi--Yau $7$-manifolds, for which we prove the existence of approximate coupled $\operatorname{G}_2$-instantons and generalized Ricci-flat metrics.
Suppose that $\mathcal{M}$ is an almost calibrated, exact, ancient solution of Lagrangian mean curvature flow in $\mathbb{C}^n$. We show that if $\mathcal{M}$ has a blow-down given by the static union of two Lagrangian subspaces with distinct Lagrangian angles that intersect along a line, then $\mathcal{M}$ is a translator. In particular in $\mathbb{C}^2$, all almost calibrated, exact, ancient solutions of Lagrangian mean curvature flow with entropy less than 3 are special Lagrangian, a union of planes, or translators.
In this article we consider the Lagrangian mean curvature flow of compact, circle-invariant, almost calibrated Lagrangian surfaces in hyperk\"ahler 4-manifolds with circle symmetry. We show that this Lagrangian mean curvature flow can be continued for all time, through finite time singularities, and converges to a chain of special Lagrangians, thus verifying various aspects of Joyce's conjectures in this setting. We show that the singularities of the flow are neck pinches in the sense conjectured by Joyce. We also give examples where such finite time singularities are guaranteed to occur.
A 3-Sasakian structure on a 7-manifold may be used to define two distinct Einstein metrics: the 3-Sasakian metric and the squashed Einstein metric. Both metrics are induced by nearly parallel $G_2$-structures which may also be expressed in terms of the 3-Sasakian structure. Just as Einstein metrics are critical points for the Ricci flow up to rescaling, nearly parallel $G_2$-structures provide natural critical points of the (rescaled) geometric flows of $G_2$-structures known as the Laplacian flow and Laplacian coflow. We study each of these flows in the 3-Sasakian setting and see that their behaviour is markedly different, particularly regarding the stability of the nearly parallel $G_2$-structures. We also compare the behaviour of the flows of $G_2$-structures with the (rescaled) Ricci flow.
We obtain non-trivial solutions to the heterotic $\rm{G}_2$ system, which are defined on the total spaces of non-trivial circle bundles over Calabi--Yau $3$-orbifolds. By adjusting the $S^1$ fibres in proportion to a power of the string constant $α'$, we obtain a cocalibrated $\rm{G}_2$-structure the torsion of which realises an arbitrary constant (trivial) dilaton field and an $H$-flux with nontrivial Chern--Simons defect. We find examples of connections on the tangent bundle and a non-flat $\rm{G}_2$-instanton induced from the horizontal Calabi--Yau metric which satisfy together the anomaly-free condition, also known as the heterotic Bianchi identity. The connections on the tangent bundle are $\rm{G}_2$-instantons up to higher order corrections in $α'$.
Let $L_t$ be a zero Maslov, rational Lagrangian mean curvature flow in a compact Calabi-Yau surface, and suppose that at the first singular time a tangent flow is given by the static union of two transverse planes. We show that in this case the tangent flow is unique, and that the flow can be continued past the singularity as an immersed, smooth, zero Maslov, rational Lagrangian mean curvature flow. Furthermore, if $L_0$ is a sphere that is stable in the sense of Thomas-Yau, then such a singularity cannot form.
In this note, we revisit some well-known examples of instantons on flat space that were originally discovered in the physics literature. In particular, we explain how the basic instanton on $\mathbb{R}^4$, with its flat hyperkaehler structure, has natural generalisations to $\mathbb{R}^7$ and $\mathbb{R}^8$ viewed as flat $G_2$- and Spin(7)-manifolds, respectively. We also provide the details of an arguably less known construction of ASD instantons on $\mathbb{H}^n$, in the sense of quaternionic geometry.
The Gibbons-Hawking ansatz provides a large family of circle-invariant hyperkaehler 4-manifolds, and thus Calabi-Yau 2-folds. In this setting, we prove versions of the Thomas conjecture on existence of special Lagrangian representatives of Hamiltonian isotopy classes of Lagrangians, and the Thomas-Yau conjecture on long-time existence of the Lagrangian mean curvature flow. We also make observations concerning closed geodesics, curve shortening flow and minimal surfaces.
In this note, we provide the first non-trivial examples of deformed G_2-instantons, originally called deformed Donaldson-Thomas connections. As a consequence, we see how deformed G_2-instantons can be used to distinguish between nearly parallel G_2-structures and isometric G_2-structures on 3-Sasakian 7-manifolds. Our examples give non-trivial deformed G_2-instantons with obstructed deformation theory and situations where the moduli space of deformed G_2-instantons has components of different dimensions. We finally study the relation between our examples and a Chern-Simons type functional which has deformed G_2-instantons as critical points.
Bryant-Salamon constructed three 1-parameter families of complete manifolds with holonomy $\mathrm{G}_2$ which are asymptotically conical to a holonomy $\mathrm{G}_2$ cone. For each of these families, including their asymptotic cone, we construct a fibration by asymptotically conical and conically singular coassociative 4-folds. We show that these fibrations are natural generalizations of the following three well-known coassociative fibrations on $\mathbb R^7$: the trivial fibration by 4-planes, the product of the standard Lefschetz fibration of $\mathbb C^3$ with a line, and the Harvey-Lawson coassociative fibration. In particular, we describe coassociative fibrations of the bundle of anti-self-dual 2-forms over the 4-sphere $\mathcal{S}^4$, and the cone on $\mathbb C \mathbb P^3$, whose smooth fibres are $T^*\mathcal{S}^2$, and whose singular fibres are $\mathbb R^4/\{\pm 1\}$. We relate these fibrations to hypersymplectic geometry, Donaldson's work on Kovalev-Lefschetz fibrations, harmonic 1-forms and the Joyce--Karigiannis construction of holonomy $\mathrm{G}_2$ manifolds, and we construct vanishing cycles and associative "thimbles" for these fibrations.
In this expository note we describe important examples of Lagrangian mean curvature flow in $\mathbb{C}^2$ which are invariant under a circle action. Through these examples, we see compact and non-compact situations, long-time existence, singularities forming via explicit models, and significant objects in Riemannian and symplectic geometry, including the Clifford torus, Chekanov torus, Whitney sphere and Lawlor necks.
On the one hand, we prove that the Clifford torus in $\mathbb{C}^2$ is unstable for Lagrangian mean curvature flow under arbitrarily small Hamiltonian perturbations, even though it is Hamiltonian $F$-stable and locally area minimising under Hamiltonian variations. On the other hand, we show that the Clifford torus is rigid: it is locally unique as a self-shrinker for mean curvature flow, despite having infinitesimal deformations which do not arise from rigid motions. The proofs rely on analysing higher order phenomena: specifically, showing that the Clifford torus is not a local entropy minimiser even under Hamiltonian variations, and demonstrating that infinitesimal deformations which do not generate rigid motions are genuinely obstructed.
Ancient solutions of Lagrangian mean curvature flow in C^n naturally arise as Type II blow-ups. In this extended note we give structural and classification results for such ancient solutions in terms of their blow-down and, motivated by the Thomas-Yau Conjecture, focus on the almost calibrated case. In particular, we classify Type II blow-ups of almost calibrated Lagrangian mean curvature flow when the blow-down is a pair of transverse planes or, when n=2, a multiplicity two plane. We also show that the Harvey-Lawson Clifford torus cone in C^3 cannot arise as the blow-down of an almost calibrated Type II blow-up.
We prove long-time existence and convergence results for spacelike solutions to mean curvature flow in the pseudo-Euclidean space $\mathbb{R}^{n,m}$, which are entire or defined on bounded domains and satisfying Neumann or Dirichlet boundary conditions. As an application, we prove long-time existence and convergence of the $\operatorname{G}_2$-Laplacian flow in cases related to coassociative fibrations.
Geometric flows have proved to be a powerful geometric analysis tool, perhaps most notably in the study of 3-manifold topology, the differentiable sphere theorem, Hermitian-Yang-Mills connections and canonical Kaehler metrics. In the context of G_2 geometry, there are several geometric flows which arise. Each flow provides a potential means to study the geometry and topology associated with a given class of G_2 structures. We will introduce these flows, and describe some of the key known results and open problems in the field.