On critical maps of the horizontal energy functional between Riemannian foliations

Abstract

In this paper, we consider critical points of the horizontal energy $E_{\HH}(f)$ for a smooth map $f$ between two Riemannian foliations. These critical points are referred to as horizontally harmonic maps. In particular, if the maps are foliated, they become transversally harmonic maps. By utilizing the stress-energy tensor, we establish some monotonicity formulas for horizontally harmonic maps from Euclidean spaces, the quotients $K_{m}$ of Heisenberg groups and also for transversally harmonic maps from Riemannian foliations with appropriate curvature pinching conditions. Finally, we give Jin-type theorems for either horizontally harmonic maps or transversally harmonic maps under some asymptotic conditions at infinity.