Conformal limits of grafting and Teichmüller rays and their asymptoticity

Abstract

We show that any grafting ray in Teichmüller space is (strongly) asymptotic to some Teichmüller geodesic ray. As an intermediate step we introduce surfaces that arise as limits of these degenerating Riemann surfaces. Given a grafting ray, the proof involves a Teichmüller ray with a conformally equivalent limit, and building quasiconformal maps of low dilatation between the surfaces along the rays. Our preceding work had proved the result for rays determined by an arational lamination or a multicurve, and the unified approach here gives an alternative proof of the former case.

32 pages, 15 figures