Invariant differential operators and the range of the matrix Radon transform (Q860801)

Let \(M_{n,k}\) be the vector space of real \(n\times k\) matrices \((n\leq k)\) and \(\text{St}(n,m)\) the set of \(n\times m\) Stiefel matrices \((m\leq n)\). The authors characterize the range of the matrix Radon transform \(R\) \(:\) \({\mathcal S}(M_{n,k})\to{\mathcal S}(\Xi)\), where \(\Xi=\text{ St}(n,m)\times_{O(m)}M_{m,k}\). They show that if any \(\phi\in R{\mathcal S}(M_{n,k})\) satisfies the Pfaffian system \(d\nu(V_I)\phi=0\) for all \(I\in T_{k+2,n}\), and \(\phi\in {\mathcal S}(\Xi)\) satisfies the system, then there exists a \(f\in {\mathcal S}(M_{n,k})\) such that \(\phi=Rf\). A smoothness result in the sufficient part is crucial: Let \(\pi:\Xi\to M_{n,k}\) be a \(C^\infty\)-map given by \(\pi(\xi[F,C])=FC\). Let \(h\) be a function on \(M_{n,k}\) such that \(h\circ\pi\in C^\infty(\Xi)\). Then \(h\in C^\infty(M_{n,k})\). This theorem and the Fourier slice theorem yield the desired sufficient part: Let \(\phi\in{\mathcal S}(\Xi)\) satisfy the Pfaffian system, and \(\Phi={\mathcal F}\phi\) the partial Fourier transform. Then we can find a \(h\) on \(M_{n,k}\) such that \(h\circ\pi=\Phi\). By the smoothness theorem, \(h\in{\mathcal S}(M_{n,k})\). Let \(f\in{\mathcal S}(M_{n,k})\) be the inverse Fourier transform of \(h\). Then \({\mathcal F}\phi(\xi[F,C])=h(FC)={\widetilde f}(FC)= {\mathcal F}(Rf)(\xi[F,C])\) and thus, \(\phi=Rf\) by the injectivity of \({\mathcal F}\) on \({\mathcal S}(\Xi)\). For the proof of the smoothness theorem they obtain a \(C^\infty\) version on \(\mathbb R^n\) of the weak Nullstellensatz for holomorphic functions on \(\mathbb C^n\).