A Vector Equilibrium Problem for Symmetrically Located Point Charges on a Sphere

We study the equilibrium measure on the two-dimensional sphere in the presence of an external field generated by r + 1 equal point charges that are symmetrically located around the north pole. The support of the equilibrium measure is known as the droplet. The droplet has a motherbody which we characterize by means of a vector equilibrium problem (VEP) for r measures in the complex plane. The model undergoes two transitions which is reflected in the support of the first component of the minimizer of the VEP, namely the support can be a finite interval containing 0, the union of two intervals, or the full half-line. The two interval case corresponds to a droplet with two disjoint components, and it is analyzed by means of a genus one Riemann surface.

Automated summary

This study investigates the equilibrium measure on a two-dimensional sphere in the presence of an external field generated by symmetrically located point charges. The droplet, known as the support of the equilibrium measure, is characterized by a vector equilibrium problem for multiple measures in the complex plane. The model undergoes two transitions, reflected in the support of the minimizer of the vector equilibrium problem.