Homotopy type of moduli spaces of G-Higgs bundles and reducibility of the nilpotent cone (Q1710783)

Let \(G\) be a reductive Lie group (real or complex), \(H\) be a maximal compact subgroup and let \(H^{\mathbb{C}}\) be the complexification of \(H\). If \(\mathfrak{h}^{\mathbb{C}} \subset \mathfrak{g}^{\mathbb{C}}\) is the corresponding Lie algebras, then using (complexified) Cartan decomposition \(\mathfrak{g}^{\mathbb{C}} = \mathfrak{h}^{\mathbb{C}} \oplus \mathfrak{m}^{\mathbb{C}}\), we get a isotropy representation \(\iota: H^{\mathbb{C}} \longrightarrow GL\big( \mathfrak{m}^{\mathbb{C}} \big)\). Let \(X\) be a compact Riemann surface of genus \(g \geq 2\). Given principal \(H^{\mathbb{C}}\)-bundle \(E\) on \(X\), let \(E \big( \mathfrak{m}^{\mathbb{C}} \big) = E \times_{\iota} \mathfrak{m}^{\mathbb{C}}\). A \(G\)-Higgs bundle on \(X\) is a pair \((E, \phi)\) where \(E\) is a principal \(H^{\mathbb{C}}\)-bundle on \(X\) and \(\phi\) is a section of \(E \big( \mathfrak{m}^{\mathbb{C}} \big) \otimes K_X\). Let \(\mathcal{M}_d(G)\) be the moduli space of polystable \(G\)-Higgs bundles \((E, \phi)\) on \(X\) of topological type \(d \in \pi_1(G)\). If \(\{ \beta_1, \cdots, \beta_n \}\) denotes the basis of the \(G\)-invariant polynomials on \(\mathfrak{g}^{\mathbb{C}}\) and \(d_i = \deg \beta_i\), the Hitchin map is defined as \(\mathcal{H}: \mathcal{M}_d(G) \longrightarrow \oplus H^0 \big( X, K_X^{d_i} \big)\). Then via an explicit computation, the authors have proved that the nilpotent cone \(\mathcal{H}^{-1} \big( 0 \big)\) is a deformation retract of \(\mathcal{M}_d(G)\). If \(\mathcal{N}_d \big( H^{\mathbb{C}} \big)\) denotes the connected component (of topological type \(d \in \pi_1(G)\)) of the moduli space of semistable principal \(H^{\mathbb{C}}\)-bundle on \(X\), then \(\mathcal{N}_d \big( H^{\mathbb{C}} \big) \subset \mathcal{H}^{-1} \big( 0 \big) \subset \mathcal{M}_d(G)\) (via zero Higgs field). Assuming the existence of a \(G\)-Higgs bundle whose underlying principal \(H^{\mathbb{C}}\)-bundle is unstable, it was shown that \(\mathcal{N}_d \big( H^{\mathbb{C}} \big)\) and \(\mathcal{M}_d(G)\) have distinct additive singular homology (with \(\mathbb{C}\)-coefficients). The proof relies on the equality of downward Morse flow and Nilpotent cone [\textit{T. Hausel}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 503, 169--192 (1998; Zbl 0930.14016)]. Existence of such \(G\)-Higgs bundles were proved when \(G\) is non-abelian (real or complex) reductive connected Lie group. Finally, the authors have shown that if \(G\) is a non-abelian (real or complex) connected reductive Lie group of non-Hermitian type or connected simple real Lie group of Hermitian non-tube type, then \(\mathcal{N}_0 \big( H^{\mathbb{C}} \big)\) is not a deformation retract of \(\mathcal{M}_0(G)\) (trivial topologica types). Analogous results, when \(G\) is semi-simple complex Lie groups was studied by \textit{I. Biswas} and \textit{C. Florentino} [Bull. Sci. Math. 135, No. 4, 395--399 (2011; Zbl 1225.14011)].