Symplectic geometry of a moduli space of framed Higgs bundles

Abstract: Let $X$ be a compact connected Riemann surface and $D$ an effective divisor on $X$. Let ${\mathcal N}_H(r,d)$ denote the moduli space of $D$-twisted stable Higgs bundles (a special class of Hitchin pairs) on $X$ of rank $r$ and degree $d$. It is known that ${\mathcal N}_H(r,d)$ has a natural holomorphic Poisson structure which is in fact symplectic if and only if $D$ is the zero divisor. We prove that ${\mathcal N}_H(r,d)$ admits a natural enhancement to a holomorphic symplectic manifold which is called here ${\mathcal M}_H(r,d)$. This ${\mathcal M}_H(r,d)$ is constructed by trivializing, over $D$, the restriction of the vector bundles underlying the $D$-twisted Higgs bundles; such objects are called here as framed Higgs bundles. We also investigate the symplectic structure on the moduli space ${\mathcal M}_H(r,d)$ of framed Higgs bundles as well as the Hitchin system associated to it.