On the rationality problem for forms of moduli spaces of stable marked curves of positive genus

Let $M_{g, n}$ (respectively, $overline{M_{g, n}}$) be the moduli space of smooth (respectively stable) curves of genus $g$ with $n$ marked points. Over the field of complex numbers, it is a classical problem in algebraic geometry to determine whether or not $M_{g, n}$ (or equivalently, $overline{M_{g, n}}$) is a rational variety. Theorems of J. Harris, D. Mumford, D. Eisenbud and G. Farkas assert that $M_{g, n}$ is not unirational for any $n geqslant 0$ if $g geqslant 22$. Moreover, P. Belorousski and A. Logan showed that $M_{g, n}$ is unirational for only finitely many pairs $(g, n)$ with $g geqslant 1$. Finding the precise range of pairs $(g, n)$, where $M_{g, n}$ is rational, stably rational or unirational, is a problem of ongoing interest. In this paper we address the rationality problem for twisted forms of $overline{M_{g, n}}$ defined over an arbitrary field $F$ of characteristic $ eq 2$. We show that all $F$-forms of $overline{M_{g, n}}$ are stably rational for $g = 1$ and $3 leqslant n leqslant 4$, $g = 2$ and $2 leqslant n leqslant 3$, $g = 3$ and $1 leqslant n leqslant 14$, $g = 4$ and $1 leqslant n leqslant 9$, $g = 5$ and $1 leqslant n leqslant 12$.

The valuation criterion for normal basis generators

If $L/K$ is a finite Galois extension of local fields, we say that the valuation criterion $VC(L/K)$ holds if there is an integer $d$ such that every element $x in L$ with valuation $d$ generates a normal basis for $L/K$. Answering a question of Byott and Elder, we first prove that $VC(L/K)$ holds if and only if the tamely ramified part of the extension $L/K$ is trivial and every non-zero $K[G]$-submodule of $L$ contains a unit. Moreover, the integer $d$ can take one value modulo $[L:K]$ only, namely $-d_{L/K}-1$, where $d_{L/K}$ is the valuation of the different of $L/K$. When $K$ has positive characteristic, we thus recover a recent result of Elder and Thomas, proving that $VC(L/K)$ is valid for all extensions $L/K$ in this context. When $char{;K}=0$, we identify all abelian extensions $L/K$ for which $VC(L/K)$ is true, using algebraic arguments. These extensions are determined by the behaviour of their cyclic Kummer subextensions.