Lower Semi-Continuity of the Index in the Visosity Method for Minimal Surfaces

Abstract

The goal of the present work is twofold. First we prove the existence of an Hilbert Manifold structure on the space of immersed oriented closed surfaces with three derivatives in $L^2$ in an arbitrary sub-manifold $M^m$ of an euclidian space $R^Q$. Second, using this Hilbert manifold structure, we prove a lower semi continuity property of the index for sequences of conformal immersions, critical points to the viscous approximation of the area satisfying Struwe entropy estimate and bubble tree strongly converging in $W^{1,2}$ to a limiting minimal surface as the viscous parameter is going to zero.