Vanishing criteria for Ceresa cycles

Abstract

Let $C$ be a smooth projective curve, and let $J$ be its Jacobian. We prove vanishing criteria for the Ceresa cycle $\kappa(C) \in \mathrm{CH}_1(J)\otimes \mathbb{Q}$ in the Chow group of 1-cycles on $J$. Namely, $(A)$ If $\mathrm{H}_{\mathrm{prim}}^3(J)^{\mathrm{Aut}(C)} = 0$, then $\kappa(C)$ vanishes; $(B)$ If $\mathrm{H}^0(J, \Omega_J^3)^{\mathrm{Aut}(C)} = 0$ and the Hodge conjecture holds, then $\kappa(C)$ vanishes modulo algebraic equivalence. We then study the first interesting case where $(B)$ holds but $(A)$ does not, namely the case of Picard curves $C \colon y^3 = x^4 + ax^2 + bx + c$. Using work of Schoen on the Hodge conjecture, we show that the Ceresa cycle of a Picard curve is torsion in the Griffiths group. Moreover, we determine exactly when it is torsion in the Chow group. As a byproduct, we show that there are infinitely many plane quartic curves over $\mathbb{Q}$ with torsion Ceresa cycle (in fact, there is a one parameter family of such curves). Finally, we determine which automorphism group strata are contained in the vanishing locus of the universal Ceresa cycle over $\mathcal{M}_3$.