Quasi-exceptional domains

Abstract

Exceptional domains are domains on which there exists a positive harmonic function, zero on the boundary and such that the normal derivative on the boundary is constant. Recent results classify exceptional domains as belonging to either a certain one-parameter family of simply periodic domains or one of its scaling limits. We introduce quasi-exceptional domains by allowing the boundary values to be different constants on each boundary component. This relaxed definition retains the interesting property of being an \emph{arclength quadrature domain}, and also preserves the connection to the hollow vortex problem in fluid dynamics. We give a partial classification of such domains in terms of certain Abelian differentials. We also provide a new two-parameter family of periodic quasi-exceptional domains. These examples generalize the hollow vortex array found by Baker, Saffman, and Sheffield (1976). A degeneration of regions of this family provide doubly-connected examples.