Blowup dynamics for smooth data equivariant solutions to the critical Schrödinger map problem

Abstract

We consider the energy critical Schrodinger map problem with the 2-sphere target for equivariant initial data of homotopy index k=1. We show the existence of a codimension one set of smooth well localized initial data arbitrarily close to the ground state harmonic map in the energy critical norm, which generates finite time blowup solutions. We give a sharp description of the corresponding singularity formation which occurs by concentration of a universal bubble of energy.