Semi-abelian spectral data for singular fibres of the $\mathsf{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$-Hitchin system

Abstract

We describe spectral data for singular fibres of the $\mathsf{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$-Hitchin fibration with irreducible and reduced spectral curve. Using Hecke transformations we give a stratification of these singular spaces by fibre bundles over Prym varieties. By analysing the parameter spaces of Hecke transformations this describes the singular Hitchin fibres as compactifications of abelian group bundles over abelian torsors. We prove that a large class of singular fibres are themselves fibre bundles over Prym varieties. As applications we study irreducible components of singular Hitchin fibres and give a description of $\mathsf{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})$-Higgs bundles in terms of these semi-abelian spectral data.