Intermediate subalgebras and bimodules for crossed products of general von Neumann algebras

Let $G$ be a discrete group acting on a von Neumann algebra $M$ by properly outer $*$-automorphisms. In this paper we study the containment $M \subseteq M\rtimes_\alpha G$ of $M$ inside the crossed product. We characterize the intermediate von Neumann algebras, extending earlier work of other authors in the factor case. We also determine the $M$-bimodules that are closed in the Bures topology and which coincide with the $w^*$-closed ones under a mild hypothesis on $G$. We use these results to obtain a general version of Mercer's theorem concerning the extension of certain isometric $w^*$-continuous maps on $M$-bimodules to $*$-automorphisms of the containing von Neumann algebras.