Intrinsic ultracontractivity for stable semigroups on unbounded open sets (Q2391050)

Let \((X_t)\) denote the isotropic stable process of index \(\alpha<2\), i.e., a subordination of a standard Brownian motion by an \(\alpha/2\)-stable subordinator on \(\mathbb R_+\). Let \(D\subseteq \mathbb R^d\) be an open -- here unbounded -- domain. Let, furthermore, \(\tau_D\) denote the first exit time from \(D\) and define \((P_t^D)\) to be the transition semigroup of the process killed on exiting \(D\), \(P_t^Df(x)=E_x(\tau_D>t; f(X_t))= \int p_t^D(x,y)f(y)\,dy\). Here \(p_t^D\) denotes the kernel of \(P_t^D\). Throughout it is assumed that the operators \(P_t^D\) are compact operators on \(L^2\) and \((\varphi_n = \varphi_n^D)_{n\geq 1}\) is a complete ONS of eigenfunctions with corresponding eigenvalues \(\lambda_n = \lambda_n^D\). \((P_t^D)\) is called intrinsically ultracontractive (IU) if for all \(t>0\) we have \(p_t^D(x,y)\leq C_{D,t}\varphi_1(x)\varphi_1(y)\). Previous investigations were often restricted to the case of bounded domains or \(\alpha =2\), i.e., to Brownian motions \((X_t)\). Since for \(\alpha < 2\) the process is a jump-process, the results differ essentially. The first results are obtained for general open domains, in particular (Theorem 1), \(\varphi_1(x) \approx \left(1+|x|\right)^{-d-\alpha} E_x(\tau_D)\) and (Theorem 2) property (IU) is equivalent to an upper estimate \(p_t^D(x,y)\leq C_{D,t}\left(1+|x|\right)^{-d-\alpha}\left(1+|y|\right)^{-d-\alpha}\). For horn-shaped domains \(D=D_f= \{x:x_1>0\), \(|(x_2, \dots x_d)|\leq f(x_1)\}\) which are non-degenerate, property (IU) is characterized by the behaviour of \((f(u))^\alpha\log u\) for \(u\to\infty\) (Theorem~5). The proofs rely on boundary Harnack inequalities, in fact, on a uniform version proved by \textit{K.\,Bogdan, T.\,Kulczycki} and \textit{M.\,Kwaśnicki} [Probab.\ Theory Relat.\ Fields 140, No.\,3--4, 345--381 (2008; Zbl 1146.31004)]; see also the literature there. For the case of Brownian motions and unbounded domains, see, e.g., \textit{B.\,Davies} [J.~Funct.\ Anal.\ 100, No.\,1, 162--180 (1991; Zbl 0766.47026)], \textit{P.\,J.\,Méndes-Hernándes} [Mich.\ Math.\ J.\ 47, No.\,1, 79--99 (2000; Zbl 0978.47032)] and the references therein.