Logarithmic moduli of roots of line bundles on curves (Q6080383)

Let \(\pi: X \rightarrow S\) be a family of smooth and proper curves, and let \(J/S\) be the relative Jacobian, i.e., the group scheme over \(S\) representing the Picard functor of \(\pi: X \rightarrow S\). For an integer \(r \geq 1\), the kernel \(J[r]\) of the multiplication map \(r: J \rightarrow J\) is a finite flat group scheme over \(S\). For a line bundle \(\mathcal{L}\) on \(X\), we obtain a (pseudo-)torsor \(X(\mathcal{L}^{\frac{1}{r}})\) of \(r\)-th roots of \(\mathcal{L}\) by base change of \(r: J \rightarrow J\) along the canonical map \(\mathcal{L}: S \rightarrow J\). In the article under review, the authors extend this picture to prestable curves \(\pi: X \rightarrow S\), using the language and methods of logarithmic geometry. Given a \textit{log curve} \(\pi: X \rightarrow S\), the logarithmic Picard group \(\mathrm{LogPic}_{X/S}\) classifies log line bundles, i.e., \(\mathcal{M}^{gp}\)-torsors satisfying a boundedness condition. The logarithmic Picard group is an algebraic log space, i.e., a sheaf on the category of log schemes which satisfies conditions analogous to the ones satisfied by algebraic spaces as sheaves on the category of schemes. For \(r \geq 1\), we have a multiplication map \(r: \mathrm{LogPic}_{X/S} \rightarrow \mathrm{LogPic}_{X/S}\), which is representable by a finite flat morphism of algebraic spaces with a log structure. Given a line bundle \(\mathcal{L}\) on \(X\), we can consider it as a log line bundle, and thus as a map \(\mathcal{L}: S \rightarrow \mathrm{LogPic}_{X/S}\). Then, for \(\mathcal{L} = \mathcal{O}\), the base change \(J[r] := X(\mathcal{O}^{\frac{1}{r}})\) of the multiplication map is a group log scheme over \(S\), finite and flat as a scheme over \(S\), and the base change \(X(\mathcal{L}^{\frac{1}{r}})\) in the general case is a logarithmic \(J[r]\)-(pseudo)-torsor, finite and flat as a scheme over \(S\) as well. On the locus on \(S\) where \(\pi: X\rightarrow S\) is a smooth projective curve, this coincides with the classical construction. The group log scheme \(J[r]/S\) is \textit{not} in general a group scheme. This is possible because the formation of the fiber product in the category of fs log schemes does not commute with forgetting the log structure. In fact, there are examples where the classical group scheme \(J[r]\) over the locus where \(\pi: X \rightarrow S\) is a family of smooth curves cannot be extended to a finite flat group scheme over \(S\). There is a (functorial) modification \(\tilde S \rightarrow S\), independent of \(\mathcal{L}\), such that the fs base change of \(X(\mathcal{L}^{\frac{1}{r}})\) is a finite flat (relative) classical group scheme over the stack \(\tilde S\). This generalizes previous results of \textit{A. Chiodo} [Ann. Inst. Fourier 58, No. 5, 1635--1689 (2008; Zbl 1179.14028)]. The authors also investigate double ramification cycles on \(X(\mathcal{L}^{\frac{1}{r}})\).