Generic vanishing in characteristic \(p>0\) and the geometry of theta divisors (Q2162465)

Over the complex numbers, the generic vanishing theorems on the cohomology groups \(h^i(X, \omega_X \otimes L)\) where \(L\) is an algebraically trivial line bundle on a smooth projective variety \(X\) with canonical bundle \(\omega_X\) are a fundamental tool in the study of varieties with maximal Albanese dimension. The proof of generic vanishing relies crucially on the results of \textit{J. Kollár} [Ann. Math. (2) 123, 11--42 (1986; Zbl 0598.14015); Ann. Math. (2) 124, 171--202 (1986; Zbl 0605.14014)] on the higher direct images \(R^ia_*\omega_X\) of the Albanese morphism \(a\colon X \to A\), which are known to fail in positive characteristic. In the previous article of \textit{C. D. Hacon} et al. [Duke Math. J. 168, No. 9, 1723--1736 (2019; Zbl 1436.14033)], the structure of Cartier module on \(R^ia_*\omega_X\) is exploited to obtain some generic vanishing statement, which are powerful enough to prove various birational characterisations of (ordinary) abelian varieties. In this paper, the authors further investigate generic vanishing theorems for Cartier modules on an abelian variety \(A\). The main result states that for a Cartier module \(F_*\Omega_0 \to \Omega_0\) on \(A\) and \(i >0\), then there exists a closed subset \(W_i\) of codimension \(i\) outside of which a Frobenius limit version of vanishing on \(h^i(A, \Omega_0 \otimes L)\) holds. Stronger results saying that \(W_i\) is a torsion translate of abelian subvarieties are proven in the case where \(A\) has no supersingular factors. One important application of this concerns the study of the singularities of theta divisors: an irreducible theta divisor of a principally polarised abelian variety without supersingular factors is strongly \(F\)-regular (generalising the fact that it has canonical singularities in characteristic 0).