Infinitesimal invariants for cycles modulo algebraic equivalence and 1-cycles on Jacobians

We construct an infinitesimal invariant for cycles in a family with cohomology class in the total space lying in a given level of the Leray filtration. This infinitesimal invariant detects cycles modulo algebraic equivalence in the fibers. We apply this construction to the Ikeda family, which gives optimal results for the Beauville decomposition of the 1-cycle of a very general plane curve in its Jacobian.