A characterisation of tangent subplanes of \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q^3)\) (Q2448094)

Let \(B\) be an order-\(q\)-subplane of \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q^3)\), tangent to \(\ell_{\infty}\) in a point \(T\). Using the Bruck-Bose representation of \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q^3)\) in \(\mathrm{PG}(6,q)\), consider \(\pi_T\) the spread element corresponding to \(T\) and let \(\mathcal{B}\) be the set of points in \(\mathrm{PG}(6,q)\) corresponding to \(B\). In [Finite Fields Appl. 18, No. 1, 93--107 (2012; Zbl 1261.51006)] the authors proved that \(\mathcal{B}\) is a ruled surface with conic directrix \(\mathcal{C}\) contained in the plane \(\pi_T\) and normal rational curve directrix \(\mathcal{N}\) contained in a \(3\)-space \(\Sigma\) that meets the hyperplane at infinity of \(\mathrm{PG}(6,q)\) in a spread element distinct from \(\pi_T\). Also, the points of \(\mathcal{B}\) lie on \(q+1\) pairwise disjoint generator lines joining \(\mathcal{C}\) to \(\mathcal{N}\). In this paper, the authors investigate the converse of the previous statement. In particular they prove the following. { Theorem.} In \(\mathrm{PG}(6,q)\) let \(\mathcal{C}\) be a conic in a spread element \(\pi\) such that, in the cubic extension \(\mathrm{PG}(6,q^3)\), \(\mathcal{C}^*\) contains three transversal points \(P=\pi^* \cap g\), \(P^q=\pi^* \cap g^q\), and \(P^{q^2}=\pi^* \cap g^{q^2}\) belonging to the three conjugate transversal lines \(g,g^q\), and \(g^{q^2}\). Let \(\Sigma\) be a \(3\)-space of \(\mathrm{PG}(6,q)\setminus \Sigma_{\infty}\) of a spread element \(\alpha\) distinct from \(\pi\). Let \(\mathcal{N}\) be a normal rational curve in \(\Sigma\) that in the cubic extension contains the points \(Q=\alpha^* \cap g\), \(Q^q=\alpha^* \cap g^q\), and \(Q^{q^2}=\alpha^* \cap g^{q^2}\). In \(\mathrm{PG}(6,q^3)\) let \(\mathcal{B}^*\) be the unique ruled surface with directrices \(\mathcal{C}^*\) and \(\mathcal{N}^*\) defined by the projectivity that maps \(P^{q^i}\) to \(Q^{q^i}\), \(i=1,2,3\). Then the ruled surface \(\mathcal{B}\subset\mathrm{PG}(6,q)\) corresponds to an order-\(q\)-subplane of \(\mathrm{PG}(2,q^3)\) that is tangent to \(\ell_{\infty}\).