Variation on a theme of Richardson. (Q1874303)

Let \(P\) be a parabolic subgroup of the general linear group \(\text{GL}_n\) (i.e.~the stabilizer of some chain of subspaces) over an algebraically closed field. Let \(p_u\) be the Lie algebra of the unipotent radical of \(P\). By \textit{R. W. Richardson} jun. [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 6, 21-24 (1974; Zbl 0287.20036)], the adjoint action of \(P\) has a Zariski-dense open orbit in \(p_u\). The authors consider the question whether \(P\) has dense orbits on members \(p_u^{(l)}\) of the descending central series of \(p_u\) (i.e.~whether \(p_u^{(l)}\) is a prehomogeneous vector space for \(P\)). This is true for all \(l\geq 0\) if \(P\) is a Borel subgroup, but it fails for all \(l\geq 1\) for a certain parabolic subgroup \(P\leq\text{GL}_{15}\). Each parabolic subgroup \(P\) of a simple algebraic group of type \(G_2\) has a dense orbit in \(p_u^{(l)}\) for each \(l\geq 0\). However, the Borel subgroup \(P\) of a simple exceptional algebraic group not of type \(G_2\) has no dense orbit on \(p_u^{(2)}\).