Ergodic geometry for non-elementary rank one manifolds

Abstract

Let $X$ be a Hadamard manifold, and $\Gamma$ a non-elementary discrete group of isometries of $X$ which contains a rank one isometry. We relate the ergodic theory of the geodesic flow of the quotient orbifold $M=X/\Gamma$ to the behavior of the Poincar{\'e} series of $\Gamma$. Precisely, the aim of this paper is to extend the so-called theorem of Hopf-Tsuji-Sullivan -- well-known for manifolds of pinched negative curvature -- to the framework of rank one orbifolds. Moreover, we derive some important properties for $\Gamma$-invariant conformal densities supported on the geometric limit set of $\Gamma$.