Families of nodal curves on projective threefolds and their regularity via postulation of nodes

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to introduce a new approach to study families of nodal curves on projective threefolds. Precisely, given $X$ a smooth projective threefold, $\E$ a rank-two vector bundle on $X$, $L$ a very ample line bundle on $X$ and $k\ge 0$, $\delta >0$ integers and denoted by $V= {\V}_δ ({\E} \otimes L^{\otimes k})$ the subscheme of ${\Pp}(H^0({\E} \otimes L^{\otimes k}))$ parametrizing global sections of ${\E} \otimes L^{\otimes k}$ whose zero-loci are irreducible and $\delta$-nodal curves on $X$, we present a new cohomological description of the tangent space $T_{[s]}({\V}_δ ({\E} \otimes L^{\otimes k}))$ at a point $[s]\in {\V}_δ ({\E} \otimes L^{\otimes k})$. This description enable us to determine effective and uniform upper-bounds for $\delta$, which are linear polynomials in $k$, such that the family $V$ is smooth and of the expected dimension ({\em regular}, for short). The almost-sharpness of our bounds is shown by some interesting examples. Furthermore, when $X$ is assumed to be a Fano or a Calaby-Yau threefold, we study in detail the regularity property of a point $[s]\in V$ related to the postulation of the nodes of its zero-locus $C_s=C\subset X$. Roughly speaking, when the nodes of $C$ are assumed to be in general position either on $X$ or on an irreducible divisor of $X$ having at worst log-terminal singularities or to lie on a l.c.i. and subcanonical curve in $X$, we find upper-bounds on $\delta$ which are, respectively, cubic, quadratic and linear polynomials in $k$ ensuring the regularity of $V$ at $[s]$. Finally, when $X= \Pt$, we also discuss some interesting geometric properties of the curves given by sections parametrized by $V$.

28 pages, typos added. To appear on Trans.Amer. Math. Soc