Geometry of the theta divisor of a compactified Jacobian (Q1041261)

Let \(X\) be a nodal curve, i.e., \(X\) is reduced, possibly reducible, and has at most nodes as singularities. Let \(g\) be the arithmetic genus of \(X\). The compactified Picard variety \(\overline{P^{g-1}_X}\) of degree \(g-1\) is the finite union of irreducible \(g\)-dimensional components each of which contains as an open subset a copy of the generalized Jacobian of \(X\). It is known that the compactified Picard variety of any nodal curve has a polarization, the theta divisor \(\Theta(X)\). The author studies the theta divisor of the compactified Jacobian of a nodal curve \(X\). The first main result of the paper describes the irreducible components of \(\Theta(X)\) and establishes that every irreducible component of the compactified Jacobian contains a unique irreducible component of the theta divisor, unless \(X\) has some separating node. The proof uses the Abel map \(X^{g-1} \rightarrow \mathrm{Pic}^{g-1}\). It turns out that the theta divisor coincides with the closure of the image of the Abel map for every stable multidegree. Another goal of the paper is the geometric interpretation of \(\Theta(X)\) and the precise description of the objets which are parametrized by \(\Theta(X)\). In particular, in this direction it is proved that a stratification of \(\overline{P^{g-1}_X}\) induces the canonical stratification on \(\Theta(X)\). This stratification of \(\Theta(X)\) allows to describe the partial normalizations of \(X\) in terms of effective line bundle. The author applies the results and the techniques of the paper to generalize to singular curves the characterization of smooth hyperelliptic curves via the singular locus of their theta divisor.