Blow up dynamics for smooth data equivariant solutions to the energy critical Schrodinger map problem

Abstract

We consider the energy critical Schrodinger map to the 2-sphere for equivariant initial data of homotopy number k=1. We show the existence of a set of smooth initial data arbitrarily close to the ground state harmonic map in the scale invariant norm which generates finite time blow up solutions. We give a sharp description of the corresponding singularity formation which occurs by concentration of a universal bubble of energy. The concentration rate is given by $$\lambda(t)=\kappa(u)\frac{T-t}{|\log (T-t)|^2}(1+o(1))$$ for some $\kappa(u)>0$. The detailed proofs of the results will appear in a companion paper.