Heegaard Floer homology of Matsumoto's manifolds (Q2411334)

For a knot \(K\) in \(S^3\) let \(\Sigma_2(K)\) denote the double branched cover. \textit{P. Lisca} [Geom. Topol. 11, 429--472 (2007; Zbl 1185.57006)] proved that if \(K\) is a 2-bridge knot, then \(K\) is slice if and only if \(\Sigma_2(K)\) bounds a rational homology \(4\)-ball. In this paper the author shows that this is in general not true for twisted Whitehead doubles. More precisely, it is shown that the \(12\)-twisted Whitehead double of the torus knot \(K_{2,7}\) and the \(20\)-twisted Whitehead double of the torus knot \(K_{3,7}\) are both not slice but their double branched covers bound rational homology \(4\)-balls. Let \(M_n(K _1,K_2)\) be the homology 3-sphere presented by knots \(K_1\), and \(K_2\) with geometric linking number one and framings \(0\) and \(n\) respectively. The author calls these homology spheres Matsumoto's manifolds. When \(K_1=T_{2,3}\), then \(M_n(T_{2,3},K)\) is obtained by 1-surgery on the \(n\)-twisted Whitehead double of \(K\). Using a computation of Ozsváth--Szabó's \(\tau\)-invariant for twisted Whitehead doubles from [\textit{M. Hedden}, Geom. Topol. 11, 2277--2338 (2007; Zbl 1187.57015)] and calculating the Heegaard Floer homology of \(M_n(T_{2,3},K)\), the author shows that \(M_n(T_{2,3},K)\) bounds no contractible \(4\)-manifold if \(n<2\tau(K)\). In particular, the \(n\)-twisted Whitehead double of \(K\) is not slice.