Induced three-forms on instanton moduli spaces (Q2929948)

Let \((M,g)\) be a compact oriented Riemannian 4-manifold, and \(E\) an Hermitian rank two vector bundle on \(M\). Let \(G=\mathrm{SU}(2)\) be the structure group of \(E\), \(P\) its frame bundle and \(\mathcal{G}=\Gamma(M, \text{Ad}P)/Z(G)\) the gauge group.NEWLINENEWLINEIn dimension four the Hodge star acts on 2-forms as an involution and decomposes \(A^2(M,\text{ad} P)\) into self-dual and anti self-dual forms. An \textit{instanton} on \(E\) (or equivalently, \(P\)) is a connection \(\nabla\) having self-dual curvature \(F^\nabla\). Its \textit{topological charge} is minus the second Chern number on \(E\): NEWLINE\[NEWLINE k= -\frac{1}{8\pi^2}\int_M \mathrm{Tr}(F^\nabla\wedge F^\nabla)= -\int_M c_2(E). NEWLINE\]NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe set \(\mathcal{A}\) of connections on \(E\) is an \(A^1(M, \text{ad} P)\)-torsor. The action of \(\mathcal{G}\) preserves the set \(\mathcal{A}_{+}\subset \mathcal{A}\) of self-dual connections, and the moduli space \(\mathcal{M}\) of (charge \(k\)) instantons is the quotient \(\mathcal{A}_{+}/\mathcal{G}\). Let \(\widehat{\mathcal{M}}=\widehat{\mathcal{A}_{+}}/\mathcal{G}\) be the locus of (classes of) irreducible instantons. It is known from the work of \textit{M. F. Atiyah} et al. [Proc. R. Soc. Lond., Ser. A 362, 425--461 (1978; Zbl 0389.53011)] that if \(d_\nabla^{-}: A^1(M,\text{ad} P)\to A^2(M,\text{ad} P)_{-}\) is surjective for all \(\nabla\in \mathcal{A}_{+}\), then \(\widehat{\mathcal{M}}\) is a smooth manifold of dimension \(8k - 3(1-b_1 + b_2^{-})\).NEWLINENEWLINEThe author constructs a (linear, non-zero) map from 3-forms on \(M\) to 3-forms on \(\widehat{\mathcal{M}}\), following the methods of Donaldson (see, e.g., \textit{S. K. Donaldson} and \textit{P. B. Kronheimer} [The geometry of four-manifolds. Oxford Mathematical Monographs. Oxford: Clarendon Press (1990; Zbl 0820.57002)]). Indeed, formally over \(\widehat{\mathcal{A}}\) one has a complex of vector bundles NEWLINE\[NEWLINE 0\longrightarrow \widehat{\mathcal{A}}\times A^{0}(\text{ad} P) \longrightarrow T_{\widehat{\mathcal{A}}}\to \widehat{\mathcal{A}}\times A^2(\text{ad} P)_{-}\longrightarrow 0 NEWLINE\]NEWLINE with differentials \(d_0: (\nabla,\psi)\mapsto (\nabla, d_\nabla \psi)\) and \(d_1: (\nabla,a)\mapsto (\nabla,d^{-}_{\nabla}a )\). But formally \(\widehat{\mathcal{A}}\) is a principal \(\mathcal{G}\)-bundle over \(\widehat{\mathcal{A}}/\mathcal{G}\), and the \(L^2\)-metric provides a connection form \(\theta\) on \(T_{\widehat{\mathcal{A}}}\), with \(\ker \theta= (\text{Im} d_0)^\perp\). A 3-form \(H\) on \(M\) gives rise to a section \(\xi_H\in A^1(\widehat{\mathcal{A}}, A^0(M,\text{ad} P)^\vee)\) by \(\xi_H(a)(\psi)= \int_M \mathrm{Tr}(\psi a)\wedge H\), where \(a\in A^1(\text{ad} P)= T_{\widehat{\mathcal{A}},\nabla}\) and \(\psi\in A^0(M,\text{ad} P)\). Then formally one defines a 3-form \(\widehat{H}\) on \(\widehat{\mathcal{M}}\) by restricting over \(\widehat{\mathcal{A}_{+}}\) the 3-form \(\langle (d\theta - \theta\wedge\theta), \xi_H\rangle_{\mathrm{skew}}\) to \(\ker \theta\) and passing to the quotient by \(\mathcal{G}\). By Cavalcanti's general reduction formalism [\textit{G. R. Cavalcanti}, J. Symplectic Geom. 4, No. 3, 317--343 (2006; Zbl 1157.53324)] it is expected that \(d H=0\) implies \(d \widehat{H}=0\), and this is indeed claimed in Remark 2. A more workable description of \(\widehat{H}\) is given in Definition 1.NEWLINENEWLINEIn the case when \(M=S^4\) and \(k=1\), the author makes this construction completely explicit (Theorem 7), building on the work of \textit{D. Groisser} and \textit{T. H. Parker} [Commun. Math. Phys. 112, 663--689 (1987; Zbl 0637.53037)]. She also constructs another 3-form on \(\mathcal{M}\) (Definition 9) which is coclosed for the ``information metric'' and is naturally related to the geometry of hyperbolic 5-space. This article is a part of the author's 2010 Oxford D.Phil thesis.