Acta Applicandae Mathematicae 75: 271279, 2003.

2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.

271

New Component of the Moduli Space M(2;0,3)

of Stable Vector Bundles on the Double
Space P 3 of Index Two
A. S. TIKHOMIROV
Department of Mathematics, State Pedagogical University, Respublikanskaya 108,
Yaroslavl 150000, Russia. e-mail: tikhomir@yaroslavl.ru
(Received: 4 April 2002)
Abstract. We study the moduli scheme M(2; 0, n) of rank-2 stable vector bundles with Chern classes
c1 = 0, c2 = n, on the Fano threefold X the double space P 3 of index two. New component of this
scheme is produced via the Serre construction using certain families of curves on X. In particular,
we show that the AbelJacobi map
: H J (X) of any irreducible component H of the Hilbert
scheme of X containing smooth elliptic quintics on X into the intermediate Jacobian J (X) of X
factors by Stein through the quasi-finite (probably birational) map g: M  of (an open part of) a
component M of the scheme M(2; 0, 3) to a translate  of the theta-divisor of J (X).
Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 14J30.
Key words: quartic double solid, moduli space of vector bundles, intermediate Jacobian, Abel
Jacobi map, theta divisor.

Introduction
In 1998, D. Markushevich and the author found a first relation between the moduli
spaces of stable vector bundles on Fano threefolds and their intermediate Jacobians
(see [MT-1]). They investigated the case of a cubic hypersurface, and their results
were developed in further works [MT-2], [IM], [D], [B]. In this paper we are interested in the case of the double space P3 of index two, also called the quartic
double solid X, the next after cubic in the series of Fano varieties of index 2 with
a nontrivial intermediate Jacobian. The quartic double solid X is defined as the
double covering : X P3 ramified in a smooth quartic surface W in P3 . (It is
clear that X is uniquely defined by the embedding W  P3 up to an isomorphism.)
We consider stable rank-2 vector bundles on X. For this, in Section 1 of this article
we investigate the family H of elliptic quintic curves on X and its AbelJacobi
map
H : H J (X) into the intermediate Jacobian J (X) of X and show that,
for a general X, the image of
H coincides up to a translation with the Poincar
 The work is partially supported by the grant INTAS-OPEN-2000-269.

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A. S. TIKHOMIROV

theta divisor  of J (X) (Theorem 1.7 below). This is a new parametrization of 

via AbelJacobi (the known parametrization of  by the family of sextics of genus
3 was found in [T-1], see also [C-2]). In Section 2 we study the moduli scheme
M(2; 0, 3) of rank-2 stable vector bundles with Chern classes c1 = 0, c2 = 3
on X. We show that, for a general X, there is a distinguished component M of
M(2; 0, 3), of the expected dimension 9, obtained via the Serre construction from
the family H of elliptic quintics on X. It is proved (Theorem 2.1 below) that the
Stein factorization of the AbelJacobi map
H of H gives a quasi-finite dominant morphism of an open part M0 of M to a translate of the theta divisor 
of J (X).
1. Construction of the Theta Divisor of the Double Space X via the Family
of Elliptic Quintics on X
1.1. NOTATIONS
We adopt the standard notation for the degree deg(C) of a curve C in X as the
degree deg(C) := deg(OX (1)|C), where OX (1) is the positive generator of Pic(X).
Let
H := {C Hilb(X) | C is a smooth irreducible elliptic quintic curve in X},
H closure of H in Hilb(X),
H  := {C H | C is a reduced curve with at most ordinary double points
and : C (C) is an isomorphism},
R := {C Hilb(X) | C is a smooth irreducible curve of degree 7 (septic) of
genus 4 in X},
R closure of R in Hilb(X),
R  := {C R | C is a reduced curve with at most ordinary double points}.
By a dimension count one proves the following
LEMMA 1.2. Let X be a general quartic double solid. Then:
(i) H is irreducible of dimension 10 and H  is the dense open subset of H ;
(ii) R is irreducible of dimension 14 and R  is the dense open subset of R.
Now denote
6,4 := {C Hilb(P3 ) | C is a complete intersection curve of a cubic surface
and a smooth quadric surface in P3 },
6,4 := {C Hilb(X) | C = 1 (C0 ), C0 6,4 },
H := {C Hilb(X) | C = C1 C2 , where C1 H  , C2 6,4 and C1
and C2 intersect transversely in 10 points}.
Remark 1.3. Clearly, 6,4  6,4 is a rational irreducible variety, and any
curve C H12,19 has degree 12 and arithmetic genus 19.

NEW COMPONENT OF THE MODULI SPACE M(2;0,3)

273

Convention. For any subvariety B of the Hilbert scheme of curves on X we

denote by
B : B J (X) the AbelJacobi map (defined uniquely up to a choice
of the reference point in B).
Remark 1.3 above immediately shows that

6,4 ( 6,4 ) = {point}.

(1)

We will also make use later of the following result of Welters [We, 6.18].
PROPOSITION 1.4. For a general quartic double solid X, the AbelJacobi map

R : R J (X) is dominant.
Let F be the Fano surface of X, i.e. the base of the family of lines on X. (For a
general X it is a smooth irreducible surface, see, e.g., [T-2] or [We].)
LEMMA 1.5. (i) For any curve C H , h0 (JC,X (4)) = 4.
(ii) For a general point (l, C1 ) F H0 there exists a curve C = C1 C2 H
such that C l = and there exists a surface S |OX (4)| containing the curve
C l.
Proof. (i) We have C = C1 C2 , where
Z := C1 C2 = {x1 , . . . , x10 },

C1 H 0 ,

: C1 C10 := (C0) is an isomorphism, and C2 = 1 (C20), where C20

H6,4 . This means, in particular, that C20 lies in a uniquely defined quadric, say, Q.
Let
Z0 := (Z),

deg(Z0 ) = deg(Z) = 10.

Since by construction C10 Q Z0 (as a scheme-theoretic inclusion) and

deg(C10 Q) = 10 = deg(Z0 ), it follows that
Z0 = C10 Q.

(2)

Using (2) and the fact that OQ (C20 ) = OQ (3) one derives the exact triple
0 JQC10 ,P3 (4) JC10 C20 ,P3 (4) OQ (1) 0.

(3)

Next, take any smooth cubic surface S P3 through the smooth quintic curve C10 .
We have the exact triple 0 JQS,P3 JQC20 ,P3 J(SQ)C10,S 0. Here
J(SQ)C10,S  OS (2)(C10 ) since S is smooth, hence twisting the above triple
by OP3 (4) we obtain
0 OP3 (1) JQC20 ,P3 (4) OS (2)(C10 ) 0.

(4)

One quickly checks that the natural map H 0 (OS (2)) H 0 (OC10 (2)) is surjective,
so that h1 (OS (2)(C10 )) = 0. Besides, h1 (OP3 (1)) = 0. Hence, (4) implies

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A. S. TIKHOMIROV

h1 (JQC10 ,P3 (4)) = 0. This together with (3) and the equality h1 (OQ (1)) = 0
gives
h1 (JC10 C20 ,P3 (4)) = 0.

(5)

Hence, the exact triple 0 JC10 C20 ,P3 (4) JC20 ,P3 (4) JZ0 ,C10 (4) 0
implies the surjective map
H 0 (JC20 ,P3 (4))
H 0 (JZ0 ,C10 (4)).

(6)

Now since : C1 C10 is an isomorphism, we have JZ,C1 (4)  JZ0 ,C10 (4),
this giving the exact triple
0 JZ0 ,C10 (4) OC (4) OC2 (4) 0.

(7)

Whence one quickly obtains

h0 ( OC (4)) = (OC (4)) = 40.

(8)

Next, consider the composition of natural (restriction) maps g: OX (4)

OC (4)
OC2 (4). Here ker(g) = JC2 ,X (4), so passing to the natural
(restriction) map of sections
f : H 0 ( OX (4)) H 0 ( OC (4)),

(9)

we obtain
res

coker(f ) = coker{H 0( JC2 ,X (4)) H 0 (JZ0 ,C10 (4))}.

(10)

Next, by the projection formula

JC2 ,X (4) = JC20 ,P3 (4) = JC20 ,P3 (4) JC20 ,P3 (2),
and the composition
res

H 0 ( JC20 ,P3 (4))  H 0 ( JC2 ,X (4)) H 0 (JZ0 ,C10 (4))

coincides with the surjective map (5), so (10) implies coker(f ) = 0. This together
with (8) and the equality h0 (OX (4)) = h0 (OP3 (4)) h0 (OP3 (2)) = 45 gives
H 0 (JC,X (4)) = H 0 ( JC,X (4)) = ker(f ) = k 5 .

(11)

(ii) and (iii) This is a standard dimension count. In particular, in (ii) one could
look for the simplicity for the surface S with the prescribed properties, e.g., take S

from the linear subseries |OP3 (4)| of |OX (4)|. The lemma is proved.
Now we invoke the following important technical statement due to G. Welters [We, Prop. 6.17].

NEW COMPONENT OF THE MODULI SPACE M(2;0,3)

275

PROPOSITION 1.6. Let T be a smooth irreducible (not necessarily complete)

variety parametrising a family {Ct | t T } of reduced curves of degree d =
k(k + 1) 3 on X with the following properties:
(i) The AbelJacobi map
T : T J (X) is dominant;
(ii) for all t T the linear system of surfaces |JCt ,X (k)| has dimension k and the
surfaces of this linear system do not contain all lines of X;
(iii) the incidence divisor between T and the family of lines F (the Fano surface)
of X is reduced.
Then for any line l F the subvariety of T defined as Tl = {t T | Ct l = }
is mapped into (a translate of ) the theta divisor  of J (X).
To describe an appropriate family of curves T satisfying the conditions of Proposition 1.6 we introduce first some more notations.
5,2 := {C Hilb(P3 ) | C is a reduced quintic curve of genus 2 (hence of
bidegree (3, 2)) on a smooth quadric surface in P3 },
5,2 := {C Hilb(X) | C = 1 (C0 ), C0 5,2 },
" := {(C1 , C2 ) R  5,2 | C1 and C2 are reduced and meet each other
transversely in 13 points},
H5+2 := {C Hilb(X) | C = C  C  is a reduced curve, where C  H  ,
C  = 1 (l), where l is a line in P3 , and C  and C  meet transversely in 3
points},

:= {C H5+2 | C is strongly smoothable into a curve from R}

H5+2
H5+2 R  the open subset of H5+2 (here strong smoothability is understood
in the sense of [H-H]).
Now one checks by dimension count that, for a general X, (a) there exists
an irreducible component "0 of " dominating R  via the projection p1 : "

is an irreducible dense open

R  , (C1 , C2 )  C1 (we use Lemma 1.2 here), (b) H5+2

subset of H5+2 such that the morphism q: H5+2 H  , (C1 , C2 )  C1 is domi

) such that the natural
nant. Hence there exists a dense open subset % of p11 (H5+2



projection q p1 : % H , (C1 C , C2 )  C1 is dominant. Now consider the
variety " 0 = {C = C1 C2 Hilb(X) | (C1 , C2 ) "0 }, naturally isomorphic
to "0 via the map : "0 " 0 , (C1 , C2 )  C1 C2 , and let %0 = (" % ).
bir
For the variety T we now take any desingularization : T " 0 of " 0 , and let %
be any irreducible component of 1 (%0 ) dominating %0 via . By construction,
% consists of reduced curves of the form C = C1 C  C2 , where C1 H  ,
C  = 1 (l), where l is a line in P3 , C2 5,2 (so that C  C2 6,4 ) and
C1 intersects C  C2 transversely in 10 points. This means that the tautological
map f : % Hilb(X) sends % to the subset H defined earlier:
f (%) H.

(12)

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A. S. TIKHOMIROV

Besides, considering the natural projection g: % H  , C = C1 C  C2  C,

in view of Lemma 1.2(i) we can rewrite the condition (b) above as:
g(%) = H,

(13)

where the closure is taken in Hilb(X).

Consider the AbelJacobi map
" 0 : " 0 J (X), where

" 0 (C1 C2 ) =
R  (C1 ) +
5,2 (C2 ),

C1 R  , C2 5,2 .

(14)

As 5,2  5,2 is rational,

5,2 = const,

Im(
5,2 ) = {c}.

(15)

Hence, taking the closure of the image of the AbelJacobi map in J (X) and using
(14), (15) and the relation p1 ("0 ) = R  (see the condition (a) above), we obtain:
Im(
" 0 ) = Im(
0 ) = c + Im(
R  (p1 ("0 )))
= c + Im(
R  ) = c + Im(
R  ).

(16)

On the other hand, by Proposition 1.4 and Lemma 1.2(ii), we have: Im(
R  ) =
Im(
R ) = J (X). Hence
Im(
" 0 ) = c + J (X) = J (X),

(17)

that is, the AbelJacobi map

" 0 : " 0 J (X), respectively, the AbelJacobi map

"

T : T " 0 J (X),

(18)

is dominant.
Now, consider the AbelJacobi map
% : % J (X). By (1), Im(
6,4 ) =

{c } is a point, and in view of (12) and (13) we obtain:
Im(
% ) = Im(
H ) + c .

(19)

Since in view of Lemma 1.5 our family T (more precisely, its dense open part)
satisfies the conditions (i) and (ii) of Proposition 1.6 with k = 4, d = 17; besides,
the last condition (iii) of this proposition is quickly checked. Since by construction
% T and, moreover, % Tl for a general line l F . Hence, by this proposition,
Im(
H )  + {const}.

(20)

Next, using the description of the differential of the composition H

H (H )

P9 = P (TJ (X)(0)) (where is the Gauss map) at a general point C of H given

in [We], we quickly obtain that
H (H ) is a divisor in J (X). Hence, since  is
irreducible [C-1], [We], and, for a general X, H is irreducible as well, we obtain
the following analogue of Riemanns parametrization theorem for the theta divisor
 of J (X).

NEW COMPONENT OF THE MODULI SPACE M(2;0,3)

277

THEOREM 1.7. For a general quartic double solid X,

H (H ) =  + const,

(21)

i.e. (a translate of ) the theta divisor  of the intermediate Jacobian J (X) is

parametrized via the AbelJacobi map of the family H of elliptic quintics on X.

2. The Component of the Moduli Space M(2; 0, 3) of Rank-2 Stable Vector

Bundles on X Associated to the Family of Elliptic Quintics on X
Consider the family H of elliptic quintics on a general X and its open subset
H0 := {C H H  | h0 (JC,X (2)) = 1}.
According to Lemma 1.2(i), for a general X, the set H0 is a dense open subset
of H . Now take any curve C H0 and consider the so-called Serre construction
defining the OX -sheaf EC as an extension of OX -sheaves
0 OX (1) EC JC,X (1) 0.

(22)

Any such extension is determined uniquely up to an isomorphism by a onedimensional subspace of the group
Ext1 (JC,X (1), OX (1))
 H 0 (Ext1 (JC,X (1), OX (1)))
 H 0 (Ext2 (OC (1), OX (1)))  H 0 (Ext2 (OC , X ))  H 0 (C )  C
(here we use the well-known equalities hi OX (2) = 0, i < 3, and the equality
C  OC for the smooth elliptic curve C). Thus EC is defined uniquely up to
an isomorphism by the curve C. Besides, since for the elliptic curve C a nonzero
section of C vanishes nowhere on C, it follows that EC is locally free (this is
the well known property of the Serre construction). Now from (22) one quickly
computes the Chern classes of the vector bundle EC :
c1 (EC ) = 0,

c2 (EC ) = 3.

(23)

(here we understand, as usual, the second Chern class c2 of a given OX -shef as

an element of the group B1 of classes of algebraic equivalence of one-dimensional
cycles on X, where B1 = Z l  Z and l is the class of a line on X.) Next,
since : C (C) is an isomorphism onto a quintic (C) not lying in a plane
and, as it is easy to see, H 0 (OX (1)) = H 0 (OP3 (1)), it follows quickly that
H 0 (JC,X (1))  H 0 (J(C),P3 (1)) = 0. Hence, the triple (22) implies that
h0 (EC ) = 0. This clearly means that EC is stable in the sense of Gieseker (cf.
[MT-1, Prop. 2.6]). Thus, denoting

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A. S. TIKHOMIROV

M(2; 0, 3) the GiesekerMaruyama moduli scheme of stable rank-2 vector

bundles on X with Chern classes c1 = 0, c2 = 3,
we see from (23) that
[EC ] M(2; 0, 3).

(24)

(Here we use the standard notation [E] for the isomorphism class of a given OX sheaf E.) Remark that the equality h0 (JC,X (2)) = 1 immediately implies
hi (JC,X (2)) = 0, i > 0; hence by (22) also
hi (EC ) = 0,

i > 0.

(25)

Now let M = {[E] M(2; 0, 3) | hi (E) = 0, i > 0}. By semicontinuity, this is

clearly an open subset of M(2; 0, 3) containing a point EC in view of (25). Let M
be an irreducible component of M containing this point EC . We then have a natural
map
f : H0 M: C   EC  .

(26)

It is a standard matter to show that f is a dominating morphism (cf. [MT-1, lemmas

5.2 and 5.3]), with the fibre f 1 (f (C  )) open in P (H 0 (EC  (1))  P1 :
f 1 (f (C  )) = P1 ,

C  H0 .

(27)

(Here the closure is taken in H0 ; besides, we keep in mind that, by RiemannRoch,

h0 (EC  (1)) = 2, since by the property of M, hi (EC  (1)) = 0, i > 0.) Remark that
the equality h0 (JC  ,X (2)) = 1 means that the linear series |JC  ,X (2))| consists of a
unique K3-surface S(C  ), and by the Serre construction, the fibre f 1 (f (C  )) = P1
is just the pencil of elliptic curves on S(C  ), these curves being the zero loci of
sections from H 0 (EC  (1)):
f 1 (f (C  )) = |OS(C ) (C  )| = P1 .

(28)

Now consider the Stein decomposition of the AbelJacobi map

=
H0 |H0 :
 + const. Using the above description (28) of fibres of f and the wellknown interpretation of the differential of the AbelJacobi map
in terms of the
branch quartic W of the double covering : X P3 (see, e.g., [T-1, corollary 1]
or [We, Prop. 2.13]), we can apply the argument similar to that used in the proof of
Theorem 5.6 of [MT-1] and obtain the following theorem:
H0

THEOREM 2.1. Let X be a general quartic double solid such that the family H
of elliptic quintics on X is irreducible, and H0 the dense open subset of H defined
above. Let M(2; 0, 3) be the moduli space of stable rank-2 vector bundles with
Chern classes c1 = 0, c2 = 3 on X and M the irreducible component of M(2; 0, 3)
obtained from H0 via the Serre construction (26). There exists a dense open subset

NEW COMPONENT OF THE MODULI SPACE M(2;0,3)

279

M0 of M and a quasi-finite dominant morphism of M0 to a translate of the theta

divisor  of J (X):
g: M0  + const

(29)

which gives the Stein decomposition

= g f of the AbelJacobi map
of the
dense open subset H0 = f 1 (M0 ) of H0 :
H0

 + const
(30)

where the the fibers of f : H0 M are open subsets in P1 .

Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges with pleasure the hospitality of the Max Planck Institute
of Mathematics at Bonn (December 2000February 2001), where a part of this
work was carried out.
References
[B]

[C-1]
[C-2]
[D]

[H-H]

[IM]
[MT-1]
[MT-2]

[T-1]
[T-2]
[We]

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