Abstract

We study hypoelliptic operators with polynomially bounded coefficients that are of the form K = i X i + X0 + f , where the X j denote first order differential operators, f is a function with at most polynomial growth, and X i denotes the formal adjoint of X i in L . For any # > 0 we show that an inequality of the form C(#u#0,# + + iy)u#0,0 ) holds for suitable # and C which are independent of R, in weighted Sobolev spaces (the first index is the derivative, and the second the growth). We apply this result to the Fokker-Planck operator for an anharmonic chain of oscillators coupled to two heat baths. Using a method of H erau and Nier [HN02], we conclude that its spectrum lies in a cusp {x+ iy # |y| c, # (0, 1], c R}.

Citations