RATIONAL FAMILIES OF VECTOR BUNDLES ON CURVES (Q4809769)

Let \(M\) be the moduli space of rank 2 stable vector bundles \(E\) on a complex curve \(C\) of genus \(g\), with \(\det(E)\cong \xi\), where \(\xi\) is a fixed line bundle on \(C\). By a result of Drezet and Narasimhan, \(\text{Pic}(M) \cong {\mathbb Z}\). If \(\Theta \) is the ample generator of \(\text{Pic}(M)\), by ``rational curve of degree \(k\)'' is meant a non-constant morphism \(f: {\mathbb P}^1 \to M\), such that \(f^\ast \Theta \cong {\mathcal O}(k)\). The main achievements of this paper are: 1. determining the irreducible components of the Hilbert scheme of rational curves of degree \(k\geq 1\) on \(M\), \(\Hom_k({\mathbb P}^1,M)\). Previously, only the cases \(k=1\), \(k=2\) where known in the literature [cf. \textit{S. Kilaru}, Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., Math. Sci. 108, No. 3, 217--226 (1998; Zbl 0947.14008)]; 2. determining the maximal rationally connected fibrations of these components.