An Obata type result for the first eigenvalue of the sub-Laplacian on a CR manifold with a divergence free torsion

Abstract

We prove a CR Obata type result that if the first positive eigenvalue of the sub-Laplacian on a compact strictly pseudoconvex pseudohermitian manifold with a divergence free pseudohermitian torsion takes the smallest possible value then, up to a homothety of the pseudohermitian structure, the manifold is the standart Sasakian unit sphere. We also give a version of this theorem using the existence of a function with traceless horizontal Hessian on a complete, with respect to Webster's metric, pseudohermitian manifold.