Spectral rigidity for spherically symmetric manifolds with boundary

Abstract

We prove a trace formula for three-dimensional spherically symmetric Riemannian manifolds with boundary which satisfy the Herglotz condition: The wave trace is singular precisely at the length spectrum of periodic broken rays. In particular, the Neumann spectrum of the Laplace--Beltrami operator uniquely determines the length spectrum. The trace formula also applies for the toroidal modes of the free oscillations in the earth. We then prove that the length spectrum is rigid: Deformations preserving the length spectrum and spherical symmetry are necessarily trivial in any dimension, provided the Herglotz condition and a generic geometrical condition are satisfied. Combining the two results shows that the Neumann spectrum of the Laplace--Beltrami operator is rigid in this class of manifolds with boundary.