Invariant differential operators and the range of the Radon d-plane transform (Q1122744)

Let \(f\to \hat f\) be the Radon d-plane transform, which maps functions on \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\) into functions on G(d,n), the affine Grassmann manifold of d-planes in \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\). The author proves that for \(d<n-1\), the image of \({\mathcal S}({\mathbb{R}}^ n)\) under this transform is the space of rapidly decreasing functions on G(d,n) satisfying a single partial differential equation \(\Delta_ d\phi =0\). The operator \(\Delta_ d\) is invariant under the action of the Euclidean motion group E(n) on G(d,n). This operator \(\Delta_ d\) is obtained from the infinitesimal left-regular action on G(d,n) by an element U in the center of the universal enveloping algebra of the Lie algebra of E(n). The operator U can be written explicitly, and is the same for all d. This result improves upon several earlier range theorems, which characterize the image \({\mathcal S}({\mathbb{R}}^ n){\hat{\;}}\) in terms of systems of (non-invariant) differential equations on G(d,n).