Stratified vector fields on orbit spaces

Abstract

Using Morita type stratifications, we establish a one-to-one correspondence between geometric vector fields on a separated differentiable stack and stratified vector fields on its orbit space. This correspondence enables us to derive a stacky version of the generalized Gauss lemma and to prove a smooth version of Palais' covering isotopy theorem for a class of proper Lie groupoids, thereby extending the classical result for proper Lie group actions.