KMS spectra for group actions on compact spaces

Abstract

Given a topologically free action of a countable group $G$ on a compact metric space $X$, there is a canonical correspondence between continuous 1-cocycles for this group action and diagonal 1-parameter groups of automorphisms of the reduced crossed product C*-algebra. The KMS spectrum is defined as the set of inverse temperatures for which there exists a KMS state. We prove that the possible KMS spectra depend heavily on the nature of the acting group $G$. For groups of subexponential growth, we prove that the only possible KMS spectra are $\{0\}$, $[0,+\infty)$, $(-\infty,0]$ and $\mathbb{R}$. For certain wreath product groups, which are amenable and of exponential growth, we prove that any closed subset of $\mathbb{R}$ containing zero arises as KMS spectrum. Finally, for certain nonamenable groups including the free group with infinitely many generators, we prove that any closed subset may arise. Besides uncovering a surprising relation between geometric group theoretic properties and KMS spectra, our results provide two simple C*-algebras with the following universality property: any closed subset (containing, resp. not containing zero) arises as the KMS spectrum of a 1-parameter group of automorphisms of this C*-algebra.