The period-index problem in WC-groups II: abelian varieties

We study the relationship between the period and the index of a principal homogeneous space over an abelian variety, obtaining results which generalize work of Cassels and Lichtenbaum on curves of genus one. In addition, we show that the p-torsion in the Shafarevich-Tate group of a fixed abelian variety over a number field k grows arbitrarily large when considered over field extensions l/k of bounded degree. Essential use is made of an abelian variety version of O'Neil's period-index obstruction.