The orbit structure of Dynkin curves

Abstract

Let G be a simple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field k; assume that Char k is zero or good for G. Let \cB be the variety of Borel subgroups of G and let e in Lie G be nilpotent. There is a natural action of the centralizer C_G(e) of e in G on the Springer fibre \cB_e = {B' in \cB | e in Lie B'} associated to e. In this paper we consider the case, where e lies in the subregular nilpotent orbit; in this case \cB_e is a Dynkin curve. We give a complete description of the C_G(e)-orbits in \cB_e. In particular, we classify the irreducible components of \cB_e on which C_G(e) acts with finitely many orbits. In an application we obtain a classification of all subregular orbital varieties admitting a finite number of B-orbits for B a fixed Borel subgroup of G.