Relative hemisystems on the Hermitian surface (Q364719)

Let \(S\) be a generalized quadrangle of order \((q^2,q)\) containing a subquadrangle \(S'\) of order \((q,q)\). Then every line of \(S\) contains \(q+1\) or zero points of the subquadrangle \(S'\). A subset \(H\) of the lines of \(S\), disjoint from \(S'\), is called a \textit{relative hemisystem} of \(S\) with respect to the subquadrangle \(S'\), when for every point \(x\) of \(S\setminus S'\), exactly half of the lines of \(S\) through \(x\) disjoint from \(S'\) belong to \(H\). \textit{T. Penttila} and \textit{J. Williford} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 118, No. 2, 502--509 (2011; Zbl 1257.05183)] constructed a relative hemisystem of the Hermitian quadrangle \({\mathcal H}(3,q^2)\), \(q=2^m\), with respect to an embedded symplectic subquadrangle \({\mathcal W}(3,q)\), stabilized by the orthogonal group P\(\Omega^-(4,q)\). In this article, the author constructs a new family of relative hemisystems of the Hermitian quadrangle \({\mathcal H}(3,q^2)\), \(q=2^m\), \(m>2\), admitting the linear group PSL\((2,q)\) as an automorphism group. To construct this new family of relative hemisystems, the author performs modifications to the relative hemisystem constructed by Penttila and Williford [loc. cit.].