Sharp norm estimates of layer potentials and operators at high frequency (Q495975)

Solutions to the Helmholtz equation \((\Delta+\lambda^2) u=0\) in a bounded domain \(\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^n\) can be represented as the sum of a classical single layer potential with the density \(\partial_\nu u\) and a classical double layer potential with the density \(-u\) as long as these densities are defined on \(\partial \Omega\). The present paper is intended to estimate the norms of generalizations of both potentials, so-called semiclassical single and double layer potentials, as mappings of \(L^2(\partial \Omega)\) into \(L^2(\Omega)\). Here, the dependence of the mapping norms on the parameter \(\lambda\) for large \(\lambda\) is of interest. First results imply sharp estimates of the single layer potential in piecewise smooth bounded domains or in domains with a positively curved boundary. A domain is called piecewise smooth if its boundary is a finite union of \(C^\infty\) hypersurfaces. To prove optimality of the estimates, examples with densities concentrated in the tangential directions are used. A second result implies a sharp estimate for the double layer potential in piecewise smooth domains. Some remarks on the relation between the obtained bounds in \(\lambda\) and the convexity of the domain complete the paper. The main tools to derive the desired estimates are known bounds for the restriction of quasimodes to hypersurfaces, the theory of adjoint operators and cut-off techniques around the diagonal and away of it in form of dyadic decompositions. In an appendix a third author gives bounds for the norms of mappings from \(L^2(\partial \Omega)\) into \(L^2(\partial \Omega)\) for classical single and double layer operators.