Periods of Enriques surfaces (Q791591)

In this article we develop a refined theory of periods of Enriques surfaces and give some applications. An Enriques surface is by definition a complex analytic surface S with \(H^ 1(S,{\mathcal O}_ S)=0\) and \(2K_ S=0\). the fundamental geometric fact we use here is that S has a K3 surface \(\tilde S\) as an unramified double covering. By means of the period of \(\tilde S\) we can define the period of S as a point in the quotient space \(\Gamma\backslash \underline D\) as follows. Let N be a lattice isomorphic to \(E_ 8(2)\perp U(2)\perp U\) where \(E_ 8\) is the unique even unimodular negative-definite lattice of rank 8, \(U=\begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ 0 & 1 \end{pmatrix}\) and for a lattice M and an integer m we denote by M(m) the lattice whose quadratic form is that of M multiplied by m. Then we let \(\Gamma\) be the orthogonal group O(N) and \(\underline D=\{(v)\in {\mathbb{P}}(N\times {\mathbb{C}});\quad<v,v>=0,\quad<v,\bar v>>0\}.\) We define further \(\underline D_ 0=\{(v)\in \underline D;\quad \nexists \ell \in N\quad with\quad<\ell,\ell>=-2,\quad<\ell,v>=0\},\) which is an open subset of Ḏ. Then the main result of the theory of periods asserts that there is a canonical one-to-one correspondence (induced from the period) between the set of isomorphy classes of Enriques surfaces and the quotient \(\Gamma\backslash \underline D_ 0\). This was first proved by \textit{E. Horikawa} [Math. Ann. 234, 73-88 (1978; Zbl 0358.14020) and 235, 217-246 (1978; Zbl 0412.14015)] except for the remarks that \(\Gamma =O(N)\) and the complement of \(\Gamma\backslash \underline D_ 0\) is an irreducible closed divisor in \(\Gamma\backslash \underline D\). However we take here a completely different way from Horikawa's approach, relying heavily on the lattice theory newly developed by Nikulin and develop the theory following the model of that of K3 surfaces as far as possible, which enables us to give some further applications. Among them we can give a structure theorem on the automorphism group of an Enriques surface [found first by \textit{I. Dolgachev}, Invent. Math. 76, 163-177 (1984)] and a criterion of the existence of smooth rational curves in S, which implies that the periods of those Enriques surfaces containing smooth rational curves form an irreducible closed divisor in \(\Gamma\backslash \underline D_ 0\).