Orbifold resolution via hyperkahler quotients: the $D_2$ ALF manifold

Abstract

We propose an infinite-dimensional generalization of Kronheimer's construction of families of hyperkahler manifolds resolving flat orbifold quotients of ${\mathbb{R}}^4$. As in [Kro89], these manifolds are constructed as hyperkahler quotients of affine spaces. This leads to a study of \emph{singular equivariant instantons} in various dimensions. In this paper, we study singular equivariant Nahm data to produce the family of $D_2$ asymptotically locally flat (ALF) manifolds as a deformation of the flat orbifold $({\mathbb{R}}^3\times S^1)/Z_2$. We furthermore introduce a notion of stability for Nahm data and prove a Donaldson-Uhlenbeck-Yau type theorem to relate real and complex formulations. We use these results to construct a canonical Ehresmann connection on the family of non-singular $D_2$ ALF manifolds. In the complex formulation, we exhibit explicit relationships between these $D_2$ ALF manifolds and corresponding $A_1$ ALE manifolds. We conjecture analogous constructions and results for general orbifold quotients of ${\mathbb{R}}^{4-r}\times T^r$ with $2\le r\le 4$. The case $r=4$ produces K3 manifolds as hyperkahler quotients.

142 pages