Simply branched covers of an elliptic curve and the moduli space of curves

Abstract

Consider genus g curves that admit degree d covers to an elliptic curve simply branched at 2g-2 points. Vary a branch point and the locus of such covers forms a one-parameter family W. We investigate the geometry of W by using admissible covers to study its slope, genus and components. The results can also be applied to study slopes of effective divisors on the moduli space of genus g curves.