Generalised Gelfand-Graev Representations in Small Characteristics

Abstract

Let $\mathbf{G}$ be a connected reductive algebraic group over an algebraic closure $\overline{\mathbb{F}_p}$ of the finite field of prime order $p$ and let $F : \mathbf{G} \to \mathbf{G}$ be a Frobenius endomorphism with $G = \mathbf{G}^F$ the corresponding $\mathbb{F}_q$-rational structure. One of the strongest links we have between the representation theory of $G$ and the geometry of the unipotent conjugacy classes of $\mathbf{G}$ is a formula, due to Lusztig, which decomposes Kawanaka's Generalised Gelfand-Graev Representations (GGGRs) in terms of characteristic functions of intersection cohomology complexes defined on the closure of a unipotent class. Unfortunately, Lusztig's results are only valid under the assumption that $p$ is large enough. In this article we show that Lusztig's formula for GGGRs holds under the much milder assumption that $p$ is an acceptable prime for $\mathbf{G}$ ($p$ very good is sufficient but not necessary). As an application we show that every irreducible character of $G$, resp., character sheaf of $\mathbf{G}$, has a unique wave front set, resp., unipotent support, whenever $p$ is good for $\mathbf{G}$.