Sharp trace asymptotics for a class of \(2D\)-magnetic operators (Q2511508)

This paper studies the two-dimensional magnetic Schrödinger operator \(L_h=(-ih\nabla -\mu {\mathbf{A}})^2\) in a smooth bounded domain, in the semi-clasical limit \(h\rightarrow 0\). It is assumed that the magentic field \(B=\mathrm{curl} {\mathbf{A}}\) is nonvanishing. A two-term asymptotic expansion for the trace \(Tr(h^{-1}L_h)\), where \(f\) is a Schwartz function, is obtained, with the coefficients in this expansion explicitly expressed in terms of the magnetic field. This expansion is shown to imply a two-term asymptotic expression for the number of eigenvalues of \(L_h\) below \(Eh\) as \(h\rightarrow 0\), where \(E\) satisfies a certain gap condition. As explained by the authors, the central point is existence of the second term (of order \(h^{-\frac{1}{2}}\)) in these asymptotic expansions, whose coefficient is a surface term, depending on the behavior of \(B\) on the boundary of the domain. In contrast with the case \(B=0\), here no assumptions on periodic orbits are needed for existence of this second term. It is also noted that the results proved in this paper have applications to statistical physics, in particular providing rigorous proofs of formulas given by \textit{H. Kunz} [J. Stat. Phys. 76, No. 1--2, 183--207 (1994; Zbl 1080.82506)] regarding a 2D Fermi gas in a constant magnetic field.