Group theoretic characterizations of Buekenhout-Metz unitals in PG\((2,q^{2})\) (Q633276)

Let \(G\) be the group of projectivities stabilizing a unital \(\mathcal{U}\) in PG\((2,q^{2})\) and let \(A,B\) be two distinct points of \(\mathcal{U}\). The authors prove that, if \(G\) has an elation group of order \(q\) with center \(A\) and a group of projectivities stabilizing both \(A\) and \(B\) of order greater than \(2(\sqrt{q}-1)\), then \(\mathcal{U}\) is an ovoidal Buekenhout-Metz unital. From this result two group theoretic characterizations of orthogonal Buekenhout-Metz unitals are given.