Foliations by constant mean curvature tubes

Abstract

Let $\Gamma$ be a nondegenerate geodesic in a compact Riemannian manifold $M$. We prove the existence of a partial foliation of a neighbourhood of $\Gamma$ by CMC surfaces which are small perturbations of the geodesic tubes about $\Gamma$. There are gaps in this foliation, which correspond to a bifurcation phenomenon. Conversely, we also prove, under certain restrictions, that the existence of a partial CMC foliation of this type about a submanifold $\Gamma$ of any dimension implies that $\Gamma$ is minimal.