 Picard scheme of a curve

For a smooth projective algebraic curve of genus $g$, this smooth proper $g$-dimensional scheme represents degree-$d$ line bundles in families. Charts come from nonspecial degree-$g$ bundles: their first sheaf cohomology vanishes, so the Riemann-Roch theorem gives exactly one independent global section, whose zero Cartier divisor varies algebraically. Twisting by fixed line bundles gives charts covering every degree-$d$ class. For degree zero the tensor product gives the Jacobian variety; other components are its torsors.