The unirationality of $S_9^-$ and moduli spaces of pointed spin curves

Abstract

We show that the moduli space of odd spin curves of genus 9 is unirational. This is the highest genus for which such a result is known. This is achieved by realizing birationally the moduli space of odd spin curves of genus g<10 as a locally trivial projective bundle over a certain (finite quotient of the) moduli space of n-pointed odd stable spin curves of genus g&#39;<g. We then present general results on the Kodaira dimension of both components of the moduli spaces of n-pointed spin curves of genus g.