Spectrum of domains in Riemannian manifolds (Q1094684)

Let \(M^ n\) be a complete Riemannian manifold of dimension n, with Ricci curvature bounded from below by \(-(n-1)\cdot c,\quad c\geq 0.\) The author considers the Laplacian \(\Delta\), acting on \(L^ 2\Omega\) with Dirichlet boundary conditions, where \(\Omega\) is a bounded domain with smooth boundary contained in M. If \(\Omega\) is non-compact the author gives a geometric criterion which assumes that the Laplacian \(\Delta\) has essential spectrum. If D is a relatively compact domain in M and the Laplacian \(\Delta\) acts on \(L^ 2D\) with Dirichlet boundary conditions the author develops the method given by \textit{C. Croke} [Ann. Sci. Ec. Norm. Super., IV. Ser. 13, 419-435 (1980; Zbl 0465.53032)], \textit{C. Croke} and \textit{A. Derdzinski} [Comment. Math. Helv. 62, 106-121 (1987; Zbl 0617.53047)] to give a lower bound for the positive operator \(\Delta\). If \(\Omega\) is non-compact and d(x) is the distance from \(x\in \Omega\) to \(\partial \Omega\), the boundary of \(\Omega\), then the author proves the following theorem: Suppose that d(x) approaches 0 as x approaches infinity and is sufficiently regular. Then the Laplacian \(\Delta\) acting on \(L^ 2\Omega\) with Dirichlet boundary conditions has a pure point spectrum. Under additional conditions he also shows that the heat kernel is a trace class and gives an upper bound for its trace.