On a period map for SU(2) conformal vacua (Q931044)

Let \(M(C,D)\) denote the moduli space of semistable parabolic vector bundles of rank \(2\) and trivial determinant on a stable projective curve \(C\) with parabolic structure over a divisor \(D\) consisting of \(n\) smooth points of \(C\). This moduli space is canonically polarized by a determinantal line bundle \(L\). As \((C,D)\) varies over the moduli stack \(M_{g,n,0}\) of stable curves of genus \(g\) with \(n\) marked points, the spaces \(H^0(M(C,D),L)\) form fibres of a vector bundle \(V\) on \(M_{g,n,0}\) of rank \(n_j\). The bundle \(V\) is a subbundle of the trivial vector bundle on \(M_{g,n,0}\) with fibres \(H_j^{\nu}= {\otimes}_{k=1}^{r}H_{j_k}^{\nu}\) where \(H_{j_k}^{\nu}\) denotes the highest weight representation of the affine Lie algebra \(\tilde{sl}_2\) of weight \(j_k\) (and level \(\ell\)). Thus \(V\) defines a morphism \(\tilde{\gamma}_j: M_{g,n,0} \to G(n_j,H_j^{\nu})\), the Grassmannian of \(n_j\)-dimensional subspaces of \(H_j^{\nu}\). The elements of \(H^0(M(C,D,k),L)\) are called \(SU(2)\) theta functions and the morphism \(\tilde{\gamma}_j\) may be thought of as the period map associated to \(SU(2)\) theta functions. The spaces \(H^0(M(C,D,k),L)\) are known to be isomorphic to the spaces of conformal vacua. The main result of the paper is the following infinitesimal Torelli theorem on conformal vacua. Theorem. (1) The differential of the period map \(\tilde{\gamma}_j\) has a constant rank in \(M_{g,n,0}\). (2) Furthermore, such a rank is maximal at any point of \(M_{g,n,0}\) (i.e. the period map is locally injective) if and only if \(j_k>0\) for all \(k\). In the case of abelian conformal field theory (the rank one case), a similar Torelli theorem was proved by \textit{N. Kawamoto, Y. Namikawa, A. Tsuchiya} and \textit{Y. Yamada}, Commun. Math. Phys. 116, No. 2, 247--308 (1988; Zbl 0648.35080)] for a period map from a huge pro-stack to the universal Grassmannian manifold parametrizing semispaces of a Hilbert space.