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The virtual cohomological dimension of $\operatorname{Out}(F_n)$ is given precisely by the dimension of the spine of Culler--Vogtmann Outer space. However, the dimension of the spine of untwisted Outer space for a general right-angled Artin group $A_\Gamma$ does not necessarily match the virtual cohomological dimension of the untwisted subgroup $U(A_\Gamma) \leq \operatorname{Out}(A_\Gamma)$. Under certain graph-theoretic conditions, we perform an equivariant deformation retraction of this spine to produce a new contractible cube complex upon which $U(A_\Gamma)$ acts properly and cocompactly. Furthermore, we give conditions for when the dimension of this complex realises the virtual cohomological dimension of $U(A_\Gamma)$., Comment: 36 pages, 13 figures. Comments welcome!

For any right-angled Artin group $A_{\Gamma}$, Charney--Stambaugh--Vogtmann showed that the subgroup $U^0(A_{\Gamma}) \leq\text{Out}(A_{\Gamma})$ generated by Whitehead automorphisms and inversions acts properly and cocompactly on a contractible space $K_{\Gamma}$. In the present paper we show that any finite subgroup of $U^0(A_{\Gamma})$ fixes a point of $K_{\Gamma}$. This generalizes the fact that any finite subgroup of $\text{Out}(F_n)$ fixes a point of Outer Space, and implies that there are only finitely many conjugacy classes of finite subgroups in $U^0(A_{\Gamma})$., Comment: 30 pages, 6 figures. Minor edits. This is the final, accepted version, to appear in Algebraic and Geometric Topology

For any right-angled Artin group $A_{\Gamma}$ we construct a finite-dimensional space $\mathcal{O}_{\Gamma}$ on which the group $\text{Out}(A_{\Gamma})$ of outer automorphisms of $A_{\Gamma}$ acts with finite point stabilizers. We prove that $\mathcal{O}_{\Gamma}$ is contractible, so that the quotient is a rational classifying space for $\text{Out}(A_{\Gamma})$. The space $\mathcal{O}_{\Gamma}$ blends features of the symmetric space of lattices in $\mathbb{R}^n$ with those of Outer space for the free group $F_n$. Points in $\mathcal{O}_{\Gamma}$ are locally CAT(0) metric spaces that are homeomorphic (but not isometric) to certain locally CAT(0) cube complexes, marked by an isomorphism of their fundamental group with $A_{\Gamma}$., Comment: 61 pages, 17 figures. Modified statement of the main theorem, changed exposition, added a figure

We construct free abelian subgroups of the group $U(A_\Gamma)$ of untwisted outer automorphisms of a right-angled Artin group, thus giving lower bounds on the virtual cohomological dimension. The group $U(A_\Gamma)$ was previously studied by Charney, Stambaugh and the second author, who constructed a contractible cube complex on which it acts properly and cocompactly, giving an upper bound for the virtual cohomological dimension. The ranks of our free abelian subgroups are equal to the dimensions of the principal cubes in this complex. These are often of maximal dimension, so that the upper and lower bounds agree. In many cases when the principal cubes are not of maximal dimension we show there is an invariant contractible subcomplex of strictly lower dimension., Comment: Improvements in exposition, Lemma 4.27 added to clarify proof of Theorem 4.28, remark 3.8 about the definition of "compatibility" added

For a right-angled Artin group $A_\Gamma$, the untwisted outer automorphism group $U(A_\Gamma)$ is the subgroup of $Out(A_\Gamma)$ generated by all of the Laurence-Servatius generators except twists (where a {\em twist} is an automorphisms of the form $v\mapsto vw$ with $vw=wv$). We define a space $\Sigma_\Gamma$ on which $U(A_\Gamma)$ acts properly and prove that $\Sigma_\Gamma$ is contractible, providing a geometric model for $U(A_\Gamma)$ and its subgroups. We also propose a geometric model for all of $Out(A_\Gamma)$ defined by allowing more general markings and metrics on points of $\Sigma_\Gamma$., Comment: Example section added, introduction modified. Final version, to appear in Geometry and Topology