Compatible systems and ramification

Abstract

We show that compatible systems of $\ell$-adic sheaves on a scheme of finite type over the ring of integers of a local field are compatible along the boundary up to stratification. This extends a theorem of Deligne on curves over a finite field. As an application, we deduce the equicharacteristic case of classical conjectures on $\ell$-independence for proper smooth varieties over complete discrete valuation fields. Moreover, we show that compatible systems have compatible ramification. We also prove an analogue for integrality along the boundary.