Logarithmic double ramification cycles

TL;DR

This paper provides an explicit formula for the logarithmic double ramification cycle, extending Pixton's formula, by analyzing the universal Jacobian and stability conditions on the moduli space of curves.

Contribution

It introduces a new explicit formula for the logarithmic double ramification cycle that lifts Pixton's formula, using the universal Jacobian and stability conditions.

Findings

Derived an explicit formula for the logarithmic double ramification cycle.

Connected the formula to stability conditions and wall-crossing phenomena.

Computed several examples of logarithmic and higher double ramification cycles.

Abstract

Let $A=(a_1,\ldots, a_n)$ be a vector of integers which sum to $k(2g-2+n)$. The double ramification cycle $\mathsf{DR}_{g,A}\in \mathsf{CH}^g(\mathcal{M}_{g,n})$ on the moduli space of curves is the virtual class of an Abel-Jacobi locus of pointed curves $(C,x_1,\ldots,x_n)$ satisfying $$\mathcal{O}_C\Big(\sum_{i=1}^n a_i x_i\Big) \, \simeq\, \big(\omega^{\mathsf{log}}_{C}\big)^k\, .$$ The Abel-Jacobi construction requires log blow-ups of $\mathcal{M}_{g,n}$ to resolve the indeterminacies of the Abel-Jacobi map. Holmes has shown that $\mathsf{DR}_{g,A}$ admits a canonical lift $\mathsf{logDR}_{g,A} \in \mathsf{logCH}^g(\mathcal{M}_{g,n})$ to the logarithmic Chow ring, which is the limit of the intersection theories of all such blow-ups. The main result of the paper is an explicit formula for $\mathsf{logDR}_{g,A}$ which lifts Pixton's formula for $\mathsf{DR}_{g,A}$. The central idea is to study the universal Jacobian over the moduli space of curves (following Caporaso, Kass-Pagani, and Abreu-Pacini) for certain stability conditions. Using the criterion of Holmes-Schwarz, the universal double ramification theory of Bae-Holmes-Pandharipande-Schmitt-Schwarz applied to the universal line bundle determines the logarithmic double ramification cycle. The resulting formula, written in the language of piecewise polynomials, depends upon the stability condition (and admits a wall-crossing study). Several examples of logarithmic and higher double ramification cycles are computed.