The Igusa quartic and the Prym map, with some rational moduli

In this paper the ubiquity of the Igusa quartic $B \subset \mathbb P^4$ shows up again, this time related to the Prym map $\mathfrak p : \mathcal R_6 \to \mathcal A_5$. We introduce the moduli space $\mathcal X$ of those quartic threefolds $X$ cutting twice a quadratic section of $B$. A general $X$ is $30$-nodal and the intermediate Jacobian $J(X)$ of its natural desingularization is a $5$-dimensional p.p. abelian variety. Let $\frak j: \mathcal X \to \mathcal A_5$ be the period map sending $X$ to $J(X)$, in the paper we study $\frak j$ and its relation to $\frak p$. As is well known the degree of $\frak p$ is $27$ and its monodromy group endows any smooth fibre $F$ of $\frak p$ with the incidence configuration of $27$ lines of a cubic surface. Then the same monodromy defines a map $\mathfrak j': \mathcal D_6 \to \mathcal A_5$ of degree $36$, with fibre the configuration of $36$ 'double-six' sets of lines of a cubic surface. We prove that $\frak j = \frak j' \circ \phi$, where $\phi: \mathcal X \to \mathcal D_6$ is birational. This provides a geometric description of $\frak j'$. Finally we describe the relations between the different moduli spaces considered and prove that some, including $\mathcal X$, are rational.