Limits of Weierstrass points in regular smoothings of curves with two components

In the 80's D. Eisenbud and J. Harris posed the following question: "What are the limits of Weierstrass points in families of curves degenerating to stable curves not of compact type?" We answer their question for one-dimensional families of smooth curves degenerating to stable curves with just two components meeting at points in general position. In this note we treat only those families whose total space is regular. Nevertheless, we announce here our most general answer, to be presented in detail in a forthcoming submission.Comment: 7 pages, AMS-Te

The compactified Picard scheme of the compactified Jacobian

Let C be an integral projective curve in any characteristic. Given an invertible sheaf L on C of degree 1, form the associated Abel map A_L : C -> P, which maps C into its compactified Jacobian scheme P, and form its pullback map A_L^* : Pic^0_P -> J, which carries the connected component of 0 in the Picard scheme back to the Jacobian. If C has, at worst, double points, then A_L^* is known to be an isomorphism. We prove that A_L^* always extends to a map between the natural compactifications, Pic^-_P -> P, and that the extended map is an isomorphism if C has, at worst, ordinary nodes and cusps.Comment: Plain TeX, 16 page