Normal holonomy and rational properties of the shape operator

Let $M$ be a most singular orbit of the isotropy representation of a simple symmetric space. Let $(\nu _i, \Phi _i)$ be an irreducible factor of the normal holonomy representation $(\nu _pM, \Phi (p))$. We prove that there exists a basis of a section $\Sigma _i\subset \nu _i$ of $\Phi _i$ such that the corresponding shape operators have rational eigenvalues (this is not in general true for other isotropy orbits). Conversely, this property, if referred to some non-transitive irreducible normal holonomy factor, characterizes the isotropy orbits. We also prove that the definition of a submanifold with constant principal curvatures can be given by using only the traceless shape operator, instead of the shape operator, restricted to a non-transitive (non necessarily irreducible) normal holonomy factor. This article generalizes previous results of the authors that characterized Veronese submanifolds in terms of normal holonomy.