Infinite volume and atoms at the bottom of the spectrum

Abstract: Let

G

be a higher rank simple real algebraic group, or more generally, any semisimple real algebraic group with no rank one factors and

X

the associated Riemannian symmetric space. For any Zariski dense discrete subgroup

G a m m a < G

, we prove that

if and only if no positive Laplace eigenfunction belongs to

, or equivalently, the bottom of the

L^{2}

-spectrum is not an atom of the spectral measure of the negative Laplacian.

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