On the geometry of nilpotent orbits

Abstract

In this paper we obtain various results about the geometry of nilpotent orbits. In particular, we obtain a better understanding of the Kostant-Sekiguchi correspondence and Kronheimer's instanton flow. We utilize the moment map of Ness and the SL(2)-orbit theorem from Hodge theory. The results of this paper are used in the proof of the Barbarsch-Vogan conjecture in math.RT/0005305 (Ann. of Math. (2) 151 (2000), no. 3, 1071-1118).