We prove that a K3 surface with an automorphism acting on the global $2$-forms by a primitive $m$-th root of unity, $m \neq 1,2,3,4,6$, does not degenerate (assuming the existence of the so-called Kulikov models). A key result used to prove this is the rationality of the actions of automorphisms on the graded quotients of the weight filtration of the $l$-adic cohomology groups of the surface.
Categories: math.AG math.NT