Moduli of flat connections in positive characteristic (Q727705)

Let \(k\) be a field of characteristic \(p>0\), let \(X\) be a smooth, proper, tame Deligne-Mumford stack over \(k\) of dimension one (an orbicurve), and let \(n\) be a positive integer. Denote by \(\mathcal{M}_{\text{Dol}}(X)\) and \(\mathcal{M}_{\text{dR}}(X)\) the moduli stacks of Higgs bundles and vector bundles with an algebraic integrable connection, respectively, of rank \(n\) on \(X\). Call \(\mathcal{A}\) the Hitchin base \(\bigoplus_{i=1}^nH^0(X,\Omega_X^{\otimes i})\). For any variety, the superscript \(^{(1)}\) will mean the Frobenius twist of it. The main result of the paper under review is that \(\mathcal{M}_{\text{Dol}}(X)\) and \(\mathcal{M}_{\text{dR}}(X^{(1)})\) are locally étale equivalent, when considered as \(\mathcal{A}^{(1)}\)-stacks, or in other words, there is an étale cover \(\{U_i\rightarrow \mathcal{A}^{(1)}\}_{i\in I}\) such that the \(U_i\)-stacks \(U_i\times_{\mathcal{A}^{(1)}}\mathcal{M}_{\text{Dol}}(X)\) and \(U_i\times_{\mathcal{A}^{(1)}}\mathcal{M}_{\text{dR}}(X^{(1)})\) are isomorphic for each \(i\). The author uses this main theorem to study the properness of the Hitchin map \(\chi_{\text{dR}}:\mathcal{M}_{\text{dR}}(X)\rightarrow\mathcal{A}^{(1)}\) when restricted to the moduli stack of semistable integrable connections, and to extend the main result of \textit{A. Braverman} and \textit{R. Bezrukavnikov} [Pure Appl. Math. Q. 3, No. 1, 153--179 (2007; Zbl 1206.14030)] to the case of any smooth complete curve. After an introduction to the paper, the second section deals with \(D\)-modules in positive characteristic following the approach based on Azumaya algebras. The third section is devoted to local systems in positive characteristic, including many preliminaries and the proofs of the first two aforementioned results. Finally, in section four, the author switches to geometric Langlands correspondence and proves the last main result.