Harmonic flow of $\mathrm{Spin}(7)$-structures

Abstract

We formulate and study the isometric flow of $\mathrm{Spin}(7)$-structures on compact $8$-manifolds, as an instance of the harmonic flow of geometric structures. Starting from a general perspective, we establish Shi-type estimates and a correspondence between harmonic solitons and self-similar solutions for arbitrary isometric flows of $H$-structures. We then specialise to $H=\mathrm{Spin}(7)\subset\mathrm{SO}(8)$, obtaining conditions for long-time existence, via a monotonicity formula along the flow, which actually leads to an $\varepsilon$-regularity theorem. Moreover, we prove Cheeger--Gromov and Hamilton-type compactness theorems for the solutions of the harmonic flow, and we characterise Type-$\mathrm{I}$ singularities as being modelled on shrinking solitons.We also establish a Bryant-type description of isometric $\mathrm{Spin}(7)$-structures, based on squares of spinors, which may be of independent interest.