On Sp(2) and Sp(2) · Sp(1) structures in 8-dimensional vector bundles.
Let ξ be an oriented 8-dimensional vector bundle. We prove that the structure group SO(8) of ξ can be reduced to Sp(2) or Sp(2) · Sp(1) if and only if the vector bundle associated to ξ via a certain outer automorphism of the group Spin(8) has 3 linearly independent sections or contains a 3-dimensional subbundle. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an Sp(2)- structure in ξ over a closed connected spin manifold of dimension 8 are also given in terms of characteristic classes.