Generalised Gelfand--Graev representations in bad characteristic?

Abstract

Let $G$ be a connected reductive algebraic group defined over a finite field with $q$ elements. In the 1980's, Kawanaka introduced generalised Gelfand-Graev representations of the finite group $G(F_q)$, assuming that $q$ is a power of a good prime for $G$. These representations have turned out to be extremely useful in various contexts. Here we investigate to what extent Kawanaka's construction can be carried out when we drop the assumptions on~$q$. As a curious by-product, we obtain a new, conjectural characterisation of Lusztig's concept of special unipotent classes of $G$ in terms of weighted Dynkin diagrams.