Curves with prescribed period and index over local fields

The index of a curve is the smallest positive degree of divisors which are rational over a fixed base field. The period is the smallest positive degree of divisor classes rational over the base field. Lichtenbaum proved certain divisibility conditions relating the period, index, and genus of a curve over a local field. We prove that his conditions are sharp by finding a curve of every admissible period, index, and genus. Our proof constructs degree two covers of elliptic curves with split multiplicative reduction.