Divergence-free concentrations come from vanishing sequences

Abstract

A vanishing sequence $V_n$ of divergence-free matrix fields is one that is bounded in $L^1$ and is carried by open sets $A_n$ of vanishing volume. Recently established, Bouchitté's vanishing mass conjecture says that the directions such a sequence can carry are rigidly constrained: their limiting distribution must be a superposition of microstructures whose barycenters are singular matrices. We prove the converse in the non-symmetric setting: every such superposition is attained by a vanishing sequence. In fact, we are able to construct divergence-free fields $V_n$ $supported$ on $A_n$, whose relative boundary is a smooth compact manifold.