The order of the top Chern class of the Hodge bundle on the moduli space of abelian varieties. (Q1886159)

Let \({\mathcal A}_g\) denote the moduli stack over the ring of integers of principally polarized abelian varieties of dimsion \(g\). The Hodge bundle \(E\) on \({\mathcal A}_g\) extends to a rank \(g\)-vector bundle, also denoted by \(E\), on every smooth toroidal compactification \(\widetilde{{\mathcal A}}_g\) of \({\mathcal A}_g\). The Chern classes \(\lambda_i= c_i(E)\) are defined over \(\mathbb{Z}\) and give rise to classes of each fibre \({\mathcal A}_g\otimes k\) in the Chow ring CH\(^*_{\mathbb{Q}}({\mathcal A}_g\otimes k)\), also denoted by \(\lambda_i\). The second author showed [in: Moduli of curves and abelian varieties, Braunschweig: Vieweg. Aspects Math. E33, 65--89 (1999; Zbl 0974.14031)] that these classes satisfy the relation \((1+ \lambda_1+\cdots+ \lambda_g)(1- \lambda_1+\cdots+ (-1)^g \lambda+g)= 1\) in the Chow ring CH\(^*_{\mathbb{Q}}({\mathcal A}_g)\) with rational coefficients. Moreover, it was shown that \(\lambda_g\) is a torsion element in CH\(^*({\mathcal A}_g)\). The present paper gives an upper bound of the order of \(\lambda_g\) and a non-vanishing result for it, which implies a lower bound.