On translation spreads of \(H(q)\) (Q887938)

In this paper, the authors contribute to the study of translation spreads of the generalised hexagon \(H(q)\). Let \(E^l\) denote the group of automorphisms of \(H(q)\) generated by the collineations fixing \(l\) pointwise and stabilising all lines through some point of \(l\). Then a spread \(S\) of \(H(q)\) is called a translation spread with respect to a line \(l\) in \(S\) if for each point \(x\) on \(l\), there is a subgroup of \(E^l\) which preserves \(S\) and acts transitively on the lines of \(S\) at distance \(4\) from \(m\), for all lines \(m\) of \(H(q)\) through \(x\), different from \(l\). It is well-known that each point \(x\) on the translation line \(l\) of a translation spread \(S\) gives rise to a translation ovoid \(O_x(S)\) of the hyperbolic quadric \(Q(4,q)\). If for every point of \(l\) this translation ovoid is an elliptic quadric, then the spread \(S\) is called semiclassical. This paper contributes to the characterisation problem of translation spreads using the connection between these spreads and certain linear sets, established in [\textit{I. Cardinali} et al., Eur. J. Comb. 23, No. 4, 367--376 (2002; Zbl 1010.51004)]. A careful investigation of the associated linear sets, in particular those of pseudo-regulus type, leads to the following results. Theorem 1.1: Let S be a translation spread of \(H(q)\), with respect to a line \(l\). It there exists a point \(x\) in \(l\) such that \(O_x(S)\) is classical, then S is semiclassical. Theorem 1.2: If \(n>2\), \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-translation spreads of \(H(q^n)\) whose projections along reguli are all ovoids of Kantor-Knuth type do not exist. Theorem 1.3. If \(q^n\not \equiv 0 \pmod 3\), \(q\) odd, \(n>2\) and \(q\geq 4n^2-8n+2\) or \(q>2n^2-(4-2\sqrt{3})n+(3-2\sqrt{3})\), if \(q\) is prime, then \(H(q^n)\) does not admit \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-translation spreads.