The Picard group of the moduli space of curves with level structures

Abstract

For 4 - L and g large, we calculate the integral Picard groups of the moduli spaces of curves and principally polarized abelian varieties with level L structures. In particular, we determine the divisibility properties of the standard line bundles over these moduli spaces and we calculate the second integral cohomology group of the level L subgroup of the mapping class group (in a previous paper, the author determined this rationally). This entails calculating the abelianization of the level L subgroup of the mapping class group, generalizing previous results of Perron, Sato, and the author. Finally, along the way we calculate the first homology group of the mod L symplectic group with coefficients in the adjoint representation.