On the rational Picard group of the moduli space of higher spin curves

Abstract

We refine the notion of higher spin curves defined in terms of line bundles by Caporaso, Cornalba and Casagrande by adding the data of coherent nets of roots introduced by Jarvis in terms of torsion-free sheaves and we describe the boundary part of their moduli space. We provide then a presentation of the rational Picard group of this moduli space.