Amenability for actions of \'etale groupoids on $C^*$-algebras and Fell bundles

Abstract

We generalize Renault's notion of measurewise amenability to actions of second countable, Hausdorff, \'etale groupoids on separable $C^*$-algebras and show that measurewise amenability characterizes nuclearity of the crossed product whenever the $C^*$-algebra acted on is nuclear. In the more general context of Fell bundles over second countable, Hausdorff, \'etale groupoids, we introduce a version of Exel's approximation property. We prove that the approximation property implies nuclearity of the cross-sectional algebra whenever the unit bundle is nuclear. For Fell bundles associated to groupoid actions, we show that the approximation property implies measurewise amenability of the underlying action.