Identifying quadric bundle structures on complex projective varieties (Q1018068)

Let \(X\) be a projective variety, uniruled by a dominating family \(H\) of rational curves. The family is \textit{unsplit} if it is proper. At a general point \(x\in X\), the family \(H\) determines a subvariety \(C_x\) of the projectivized tangent space \(\mathbb P(T_x(X))\), given by all the tangent directions to curves of the family, passing through \(x\). In several cases, it turns out that the geometry of \(X\) is deeply related to the geometry of the embedding of \(C_x\) into \(\mathbb P(T_x(X))\). The case in which \(C_x\) is a linear subspace is studied in a previous paper of the author [Math. Ann. 335, No. 4, 937--951 (2006; Zbl 1109.14032)]. In the paper under review, the author considers the case in which \(H\) is unsplit and \(C_x\) is a positive dimensional hyperquadric, in its span. Generalizing a result of Beltrametti and Ionescu, the author proves that there exists an open subset \(X^0\subset X\), whose complement has codimension at least two, and a quadric bundle \(\pi: X^0\to Y^0\), such that curves of \(H\) meeting \(X^0\) embed as lines in fibers of \(\pi\).