Symplectic quotients and representability: the circle action case

Abstract

Let $S^1$ act on a symplectic manifold in a Hamiltonian fashion with momentum map $\Psi$. Fix a value $a$ of $\Psi$. There is a question of whether the symplectic quotient at $a$ is diffeomorphic to the orbit space of some proper Lie group action. We prove under mild assumptions that this only occurs if the symplectic quotient is diffeomorphic to an effective orbifold. This, in turn, only occurs if $a$ is a regular value, or there is at most one positive weight or at most one negative weight.