Combinatorial properties of stable spin curves

The geometry of the moduli space of stable spin curves is studied, with emphasis on its combinatorial properties. In this context, the standard graph theoretic framework is not just a book-keeping device: some purely combinatorial results are proved, having moduli theoretic applications. In particular, certain strata of the moduli space of stable curves are characterized by a (finite) set of integers, measuring the non-reducedness of the scheme of spin curves, and definable in purely graph-theoretical terms.