On a relative Mumford-Newstead theorem (Q332681)

Let \(X\) be an irreducible smooth complex projective curve of genus \(g\geq2\) and let \(M_X\) denote the moduli space of stable vector bundles of rank \(2\) on \(X\) with fixed determinant of odd degree. The classical Mumford-Newstead theorem [\textit{D. Mumford} and \textit{P. Newstead}, Am. J. Math. 90, 1200--1208 (1968; Zbl 0174.52902)] asserts that there is an isomorphism of principally polarised abelian varieties between the Jacobian \(J(X)\) of \(X\) and the second intermediate Jacobian \(J^2(M_X)\) of the smooth rational variety \(M_X\). As a consequence, there is a Torelli type theorem allowing one to recover \(X\) from \(M_X\). The purpose of this paper is to obtain an analogue of this result for a family \(\mathcal{X}\) of smooth curves degenerating to a reducible curve \(X_0=X_1\cup X_2\), where \(X_1, X_2\) are irreducible smooth curves intersecting transversally in a single point \(p\). This leads to a Torelli theorem for certain moduli spaces of torsion-free sheaves of rank \(2\) on \(X_0\). In fact, let \(a_1\), \(a_2\) be positive rational numbers such that \(a_1+a_2=1\) and let \(\chi\) be an odd integer. The moduli space \(M(2, (a_1,a_2),\chi)\) of torsion-free sheaves of rank \(2\) on \(X_0\) which are \((a_1,a_2)\)-semistable with Euler characteristic \(\chi\) was constructed under some numerical conditions by \textit{D. S. Nagaraj} and \textit{C. S. Seshadri} [Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., Math. Sci. 107, No. 2, 101--137 (1997; Zbl 0922.14023)] and shown to be the union of two smooth projective varieties intersecting transversally along a smooth divisor. The author observes in an appendix that there exists a determinant morphism \(\det\) from \(M(2, (a_1,a_2),\chi)\) to the Jacobian \(J^{\chi-(1-g)}(X_0)\) and that the fibres of this morphism are again the union of two smooth projective varieties intersecting transversally. For any \(\xi\in J^{\chi-(1-g)}(X_0)\), denote \(\det^{-1}(\xi)\) by \(M_{0,\xi}\). Let \(g,g_1,g_2\) denote the genera of \(X_0,X_1,X_2\) respectively, so that \(g=g_1+g_2\). Under the assumption that \(g_i>3\) for \(i=1,2\), the author shows that \(H^3(M_{0,\xi},\mathbb{Q})\simeq\mathbb{Q}^{2g}\) and that \(H^3(M_{0,\xi},\mathbb{C})\) has a pure Hodge structure with \(h^{3,0}=h^{0,3}=0\), allowing the definition of the second intermediate Jacobian \(J^2(M_{0,\xi})\) as a complex torus of dimension \(g\). Now let \(\pi:\mathcal{X}\to C\) be a proper flat family of curves parametrised by a smooth irreducible curve \(C\). Assume that \(\pi\) is smooth outside a fixed point \(0\in C\) and that \(\pi^{-1}(0)=X_0\), where \(X_0\) is as above with \(g_i>3\) for \(i=1,2\). For \(t\in C\), let \(X_t:=\pi^{-1}(t)\). There exists a line bundle \(\mathcal{L}\) over \(C\) such that \(\mathcal{L}_0\simeq\xi\), where \(\mathcal{L}_t\) denotes the restriction of \(\mathcal{L}\) to \(X_t\). It is observed in Nagaraj and Seshadri [loc. cit.] that there exists a family \(\pi':\mathcal{M}_{\mathcal{L}}\to C\) such that, for \(t\neq0\), \({\pi'}^{-1}(t)\) is the moduli space \(M_{t,\mathcal{L}_t}\) of semistable locally free sheaves of determinant \(\mathcal{L}_t\), while \({\pi'}^{-1}(0)=M_{0,\xi}\) (for details, see the Appendix). Let \(\Delta\) be an analytic disc around the point \(0\in C\). Given this, one can state the main result of the paper (Theorem 1.1): there is a surjective proper holomorphic submersion \(\pi_2:J^2(\mathcal{M}_{\mathcal {L}})\to\Delta\) such that, for \(t\in\Delta\), \(t\neq0\), \(\pi_2^{-1}(t)=J^2(M_{t,\mathcal{L}_t})\) and \(\pi_2^{-1}(0)=J^2(M_{0,\xi})\), and a relative ample class \(\Theta'\) on \(\mathcal{M}_{\mathcal{L}}|_{\Delta\setminus\{0\}}\) such that \(\Theta'|_{J^2(M_{t,\mathcal{L}_t})}\) is the principal polarisation on \(J^2(M_{t,\mathcal{L}_t})\). Moreover, there is an isomorphism \(\Phi:J^0(\mathcal{X})\to J^2(\mathcal{M}_{\mathcal{L}})\) over \(\Delta\) such that \(\Phi^*\Theta'\) restricts to the principal polarisation on \(J^0(X_t)\) for all \(t\in\Delta\), \(t\neq0\). It follows in particular that \(J^0(X_0)\) is isomorphic to \(J^2(M_{0,\xi})\), which implies that \(J^2(M_{0,\xi})\) is an abelian variety. The Torelli theorem does not follow directly from this since \(J^0(X_0)\) does not determine \(X_0\) (in fact, it determines the components \(X_1\) and \(X_2\), but not the point of intersection). However, \(M_{0,\xi}\) carries more information than \(J^0(X_0)\) and it is possible to obtain a Torelli theorem under the assumtion that \(X_1\not\simeq X_2\) (Theorem 1.3).