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Let $S$ be a scheme, and $SH(S)$ the stable motivic category over $S$. Which objects of $SH(S)$ are dualizable with respect to the smash product?

All I can find on this question is an old abstract of Röndigs stating that for a $k$ a perfect field, every smooth projective scheme over $k$ is dualizable in $SH(Spec(k))$.

Is every compact object of $SH(S)$ dualizable? Every finite cellular object? How about every smooth and proper $S$-scheme? Do extra assumptions about $S$ make a difference (such as assuming $S$ is smooth and/or affine or $S = Spec(k)$ for a perfect field $k$)?

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    $\begingroup$ Over a field satisfying resolution of singularities, $SH(k)$ is dualizably generated so compact objects and dualizable objects are the same. Over a more general base I fear you have no hope of a nice characterization (pick a nontrivial open subset of your base, this is a compact object but certainly not a dualizable one). I think you can hope for smooth projective S-scheme to be dualizable. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 5, 2018 at 9:01

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If $X$ is noetherian of dimension $>0$, there is always a compact object of $SH(X)$ which is not dualizable: e.g. $j_\sharp$ of the sphere spectrum where $j:U\to X$ is any dense open immersion with non-empty complement (in each connected component). However, smooth and proper $X$-schemes always provide a source of dualizable objects. In fact, $f_*$ preserves dualizable objects for any smooth and proper map $f:Y\to X$ (this is a consequence of relative purity, of the projection formula, and of proper base change).

To see how few dualizable objects there are, it is enlightening to look at classical sheaves. Let $X$ be a topological space, and $D(X)$ be the derived category of sheaves (of complexes of abelian groups, or of spectra...) over $X$. Then the dualizing objects of $D(X)$ are precisely the locally constant sheaves with values in perfect complexes. For schemes over $\mathbf{C}$, the Betti realization functor $$SH(X)\to D(X(\mathbf C))$$ commutes with the six operation, hence, in particular, with tensor product, and therefore preserves dualizable objects. This means that any sheaf on $X(\mathbf C)$ which is not locally constant and which is of geometric origin must provide an idea of how to construct a non-dualizable compact object of $SH(X)$. If you want to work over a more general base, you may replace $D(X(\mathbf C))$ with other target of realizations ($\ell$-adic sheaves, or arithmetic $D$-modules).

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