Instanton moduli on the quaternion Kähler manifold of type \(\mathbf G_2\) and singular set (Q1566322)

For vector bundles over a quaternionic Kähler manifold, of arbitrary dimension \(4n\), there is a natural notion of anti-self-dual (ASD) connection, which generalizes the standard notion of an ASD connection on a four-dimensional Riemannian manifold. Nagatomo considers certain ASD connections with structure group SO(\(3\)), which he calls 1-instantons, over the compact symmetric quaternionic Kähler manifold G\(_2/\)SO\((4)\). His main result is the description of the (universal covering of the) global moduli space of 1-instantons as an open ball in the seven-dimensional real irreducible representation of G\(_2\). The boundary points of that ball correspond to singular ASD connections, which are further studied. It is shown that the singular set \(S\) of such a connection is embedded as a quaternionic Kähler submanifold \(S\cong {\mathbb C} P^2 \subset \)G\(_2/\)SO\((4)\). The Poincaré dual of \(S\) is the second Chern class of the 1-instanton.