English

Geometric Flows of $G_2$-Structures on 3-Sasakian 7-Manifolds

Differential Geometry 2023-03-16 v2

Abstract

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 G2G_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 G2G_2-structures provide natural critical points of the (rescaled) geometric flows of G2G_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 G2G_2-structures. We also compare the behaviour of the flows of G2G_2-structures with the (rescaled) Ricci flow.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2210.12962,
  title  = {Geometric Flows of $G_2$-Structures on 3-Sasakian 7-Manifolds},
  author = {Aaron Kennon and Jason D. Lotay},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2210.12962},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

23 pages and 3 figures; v2: minor changes, version accepted for publication in Journal of Geometry and Physics