On $\boldsymbol{p}$-rationality in double covers of symmetric and alternating groups

Abstract

We construct, for every odd prime $p$, a bijection between the $p'$-spin characters $\widetilde S_n$ and those of a Sylow normalizer which, in particular, is equivariant under the Galois action detecting $p$-rationality. An analogous result holds for $\widetilde A_n$. We also obtain a blockwise refinement for height-zero spin characters and their Brauer correspondents.