Hitchin pairs on an integral curve (Q2637619)

This paper is devoted to the study of Hitchin pairs on an integral projective curve over an arbitrary field \(k\) and to the study of some of their semistability properties. Let \(Y\) be such a curve and let \(L\) be a locally free sheaf of \(\mathcal{O}_Y\)-modules. An \(L\)-twisted Hitchin pair \((\mathcal{E},\phi)\) is a coherent sheaf \(\mathcal{E}\) of \(\mathcal{O}_Y\)-modules on \(Y\), together with a morphism \(\phi:\mathcal{E}\to\mathcal{E}\otimes L\). A Hitchin pair is semistable if the usual slope condition holds for \(\phi\)-invariant proper subsheaves of \(\mathcal{E}\). A Hitchin pair \((\mathcal{E},\phi)\) is said to be strongly (semi)stable if for every \(n\geq 0\), the Hitchin pair \((\bigotimes^nE,\bigotimes^n\phi)\) is (semi)stable, where \(\bigotimes^n\phi:\bigotimes^nE \to\bigotimes^nE\otimes L\) is given as \(\bigotimes^n\phi=\phi\otimes\cdots\otimes\phi\). The authors compare this notion with the notion of Frobenius semistability. Let \(\mathcal{C}^\mathcal{H}_Y\) be the category whose objects are finite direct sums of strongly semistable Hitchin bundles (similar to Hitchin pairs, but where the sheaf \(\mathcal{E}\) is a vector bundle) over \(Y\). Assuming that the normalization of \(Y\) is smooth and that it has a \(k\)-rational point, it is proved that \(\mathcal{C}^\mathcal{H}_Y\) forms a neutral Tannakian category over \(k\). Let \(\mathcal{G}^\mathcal{H}_Y\) be the group scheme, over \(k\), dual to the Tannakian category \(\mathcal{C}^\mathcal{H}_Y\). It is an invariant of \(Y\) and the authors call it the Hitchin holonomy group scheme of \(Y\). They show the existence of a tautological Hitchin \(\mathcal{G}^\mathcal{H}_Y\)-bundle over \(Y\). All these results are generalized for the case of Hitchin \(G\)-bundles, where \(G\) is a linear algebraic group over \(k\). The authors also study, for \(k=\mathbb{C}\), the relation between Higgs bundles (i.e., \(K_Y\)-twisted Hitchin bundles, where \(K_Y\) is the canonical line bundle of \(Y\)) and representations of the fundamental group of \(Y\). It is well known that a semistable Higgs bundle \((E,\phi)\) on a Kähler manifold \(M\) corresponds to a representation of \(\pi_1(M)\) in \(\mathrm{GL}(n,\mathbb{C})\), where \(n\) is the rank of \(E\). The authors study this correspondence for the case of an integral curve \(Y\). Finally, the authors also provide a construction of the moduli space of semistable Hitchin pairs when \(\mathrm{char}(k)=0\), following \textit{C. T. Simpson} [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 79, 47--129 (1994; Zbl 0891.14005)] and [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 80, 5--79 (1995; Zbl 0891.14006)]. There are several constructions of the moduli of Hitchin pairs on a smooth variety in literature, but most of them do not generalize to non-smooth varieties.