The damped wave equation with unbounded damping (Q1708126)

Investigated are some spectral problems associated to the linearly damped wave equation \( {u_{tt}(t,x)} + 2a(x){u_t}(t,x) = (\Delta-q(x))u(t,x)\), \(t>0\), in case the damping term a is allowed to grow to infinity on an unbounded domain. One introduces the operator \(G=\begin{pmatrix} 0 & I \\ \Delta-q & -2a\end{pmatrix}\). Under some regularity assumptions on damping a and potential \(q\) one proves that \(G\) generates a contraction semigroup. The associated quadratic operator function \(T(\lambda)=-\Delta+q+2\lambda a+\lambda^2\) is defined. The relation between the spectrum of the semigroup generator and \(T\) is analyzed. Further the negative real spectrum of \(G\) for unbounded domains is investigated. The fifth section of the paper is devoted to a convergence result. One considers a sequence of unbounded at infinity dampings \(a_n\) and the corresponding sequence of quadratic operator functions \(T_n\). Sufficient conditions for the spectral convergence of this sequence of quadratic operator functions are shown. The main result is resumed as a ``spectral exactness'' theorem for \(T_n\). To illustrate the results, different examples are discussed.