Modular properties of nodal curves on \(K3\) surfaces (Q415464)

The geometry of smooth curves on \(K3\) surfaces is the subject of several papers by \textit{S. Mukai}, who showed in [in: Algebraic geometry and commutative algebra, in Honor of Masayoshi Nagata, Vol. I, 357--377 (1988; Zbl 0701.14044)] that a general curve of genus \(g\geq 9\) or genus \(g=11\) can be embedded in a \(K3\) surface. This result was generalized to nodal curves on \(K3\) surfaces by \textit{F. Flamini, A. L. Knutsen, G. Pacienza} and \textit{E. Sernesi} [Commun. Algebra 36, No. 11, 3955--3971 (2008; Zbl 1187.14030)]. For curves of genus \(g=11\) or \(g\geq 13\), \textit{S. Mukai} [Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 179, 255--263 (1992; Zbl 0774.14037)] proved that the forgetful map from the moduli space of pairs \((S,C)\) where \(S\) is a projective \(K3\) surface of sectional genus \(g\) and \(C\) is a smooth hyperplane section of \(S\) to the moduli space \(\mathcal{M}_g\) of smooth genus \(g\) curves is generically finite onto its image. The paper under review establishes an analogous result for pairs \((S,C)\) where the curve \(C\) is the desingularization of a curve on \(S\) with geometric genus \(g\) and a prescribed number of nodes. Furthermore, it is proved that the Wahl map for such curves \(C\) is not surjective, generalizing the result for smooth curves on \(K3\) surfaces in [\textit{J. M. Wahl}, Duke Math. J. 55, 843--871 (1987; Zbl 0644.14001)].