Low-lying zeros of quadratic Dirichlet $L$-functions: Lower order terms for extended support

Abstract

We study the $1$-level density of low-lying zeros of Dirichlet $L$-functions attached to real primitive characters of conductor at most $X$. Under the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis, we give an asymptotic expansion of this quantity in descending powers of $\log X$, which is valid when the support of the Fourier transform of the corresponding even test function $\phi$ is contained in $(-2,2)$. We uncover a phase transition when the supremum $\sigma$ of the support of $\hat \phi$ reaches $1$, both in the main term and in the lower order terms. A new lower order term appearing at $\sigma=1$ involves the quantity $\hat \phi (1)$, and is analogous to a lower order term which was isolated by Rudnick in the function field case.