Johnson homomorphisms and actions of higher-rank lattices on right-angled Artin groups

Abstract

Let G be a real semisimple Lie group with no compact factors and finite centre, and let $Λ$ be a lattice in G. Suppose that there exists a homomorphism from $Λ$ to the outer automorphism group of a right-angled Artin group $A_Γ$ with infinite image. We give an upper bound to the real rank of G that is determined by the structure of cliques in $Γ$. An essential tool is the Andreadakis-Johnson filtration of the Torelli subgroup $\mathcal{T}}(A_Γ)$ of $Aut(A_Γ)$. We answer a question of Day relating to the abelianisation of $\mathcal{T}}(A_Γ)$, and show that $\mathcal{T}}(A_Γ)$ and its image in $Out(A_Γ)$ are residually torsion-free nilpotent.