Detecting orbits along subvarieties via the moment map

Let G be a (real or complex) linear reductive algebraic group acting on an affine variety V. Let W be a subvariety. In this work we study how the G-orbits intersect W. We develop a criterion to determine when the intersection can be described as a finite union of orbits of a reductive subgroup. The conditions of the criterion are easily verified in practice and are used to construct continuous families of (non-isomorphic) nilpotent Lie groups which do not admit left-invariant Ricci soliton metrics. Other applications to the left-invariant geometry of Lie groups are also given. The note finishes by applying our techniques to the adjoint representation. The classical result of finiteness of nilpotent orbits is reproven and it is shown that each of these orbits contains a critical point of the norm squared of the moment map.