Deformations of the generalised Picard bundle (Q817498)

Let \(X\) be a smooth complex projective curve of genus \(g \geq 3\). Write \({\mathcal M}_{\xi}\) for the moduli space of stable vector bundles of rank \(n \geq 2\) over \(X\) and fixed determinant \(\xi\) of degree \(d\), where \(\gcd(n,d) = 1\). Let \({\mathcal U}_{\xi}\) be a Poincaré bundle over \(X \times {\mathcal M}_{\xi}\). Suppose \(n_0\) and \(d_0\) are integers such that \(n_{0} \geq 1\) and \(n d_{0} + n_{0} d > n n_{0}(2g-2)\), and let \(E \to X\) be a semistable vector bundle of rank \(n_0\) and degree \(d_0\). The main object of study of the paper is the generalised Picard bundle \({\mathcal W}_{\xi}(E) := {p_{{\mathcal M}_{\xi}}}_{*} ({\mathcal U}_{\xi} \otimes p_{X}^{*}E)\) over \({\mathcal M}_{\xi}\). The authors generalise results of \textit{G. Kempf} [Ann. Math.\ (2) 110, 243--273 (1979; Zbl 0452.14011)] and \textit{S. Mukai} [Nagoya Math.\ J. 81, 153--175 (1981; Zbl 0417.14036)] on Picard bundles over the Jacobian of \(X\). Firstly, various cohomology groups associated to the generalised Picard bundle are computed. Two important tools are Hecke transformations (bundles constructed as extensions of a skyscraper sheaf by a bundle \(F \in {\mathcal M}_{\xi}\)) and a ``diagonal argument'': calculation by restricting certain sheaves over \(X \times {\mathcal U}_{\xi} \times X\) to the diagonal \(\Delta \times {\mathcal U}_{\xi}\). The authors then give an inversion formula allowing \(E\) to be recovered from \({\mathcal W}_{\xi}(E)\). They show that if \(E\) is semistable then the space \(H^{1}({\mathcal M}_{\xi} , \mathrm{End}({\mathcal W}_{\xi}(E)))\) of infinitesimal deformations of the generalised Picard bundle is isomorphic to the corresponding space \(H^{1}(X , \mathrm{End}(E))\) for \(E\). Moreover, if \(\gcd(n_{0}, d_{0}) = 1\) and we let \(E_0\) vary in the moduli space \({\mathcal M}(n_{0}, d_{0})\) of stable bundles of rank \(n_0\) and degree \(d_0\), the bundles \({\mathcal W}_{\xi}(E_{0})\) form a family of deformations of \({\mathcal W}_{\xi}(E)\) parametrised by \({\mathcal M}(n_{0}, d_{0})\). The authors show that this family is injectively parametrised and everywhere locally complete. Furthermore, if all the \({\mathcal W}_{\xi}(E_{0})\) satisfy a stability condition then the family is also globally complete: there is an isomorphism \(\phi\) between \({\mathcal M}(n_{0}, d_{0})\) and a connected component \({\mathcal M}^0\) of a moduli space of bundles over \({\mathcal M}_{\xi}\) with a certain fixed Hilbert polynomial. Finally, the authors consider the case \(n_{0} = 1\) and allow the curve \(X\) and the line bundle \(\xi\) to vary. Here \({\mathcal M}(1, 0)\) is the Jacobian variety \(J\) of \(X\). In this case, \(\phi\) is even an isomorphism of the polarised varieties \(J\) and \({\mathcal M}^{0} = {\mathcal M}^{0}_{X, \xi}\). This is used to prove a Torelli theorem: if \({\mathcal M}^{0}_{X, \xi}\) and \({\mathcal M}^{0}_{X^{\prime}, \xi^{\prime}}\) are isomorphic then the curves \(X\) and \(X^{\prime}\) are also.