Cyclic covering morphisms on $\bar{M}_{0,n}$

Abstract

We study cyclic covering morphisms from $\bar{M}_{0,n}$ to moduli spaces of unpointed stable curves of positive genus or compactified moduli spaces of principally polarized abelian varieties. Our main application is a construction of new semipositive vector bundles and nef divisors on $\bar{M}_{0,n}$, with a view toward the F-conjecture. In particular, we construct new extremal rays of the symmetric nef cone of $\bar{M}_{0,n}$. We also find an alternate description of all sl level 1 conformal blocks divisors on $\bar{M}_{0,n}$.