Moment infinitely divisible weighted shifts

Abstract

We say that a weighted shift $W_α$ with (positive) weight sequence $α: α_0, α_1, \ldots$ is {\it moment infinitely divisible} (MID) if, for every $t > 0$, the shift with weight sequence $α^t: α_0^t, α_1^t, \ldots$ is subnormal. \ Assume that $W_α$ is a contraction, i.e., $0 < α_i \le 1$ for all $i \ge 0$. \ We show that such a shift $W_α$ is MID if and only if the sequence $α$ is log completely alternating. \ This enables the recapture or improvement of some previous results proved rather differently. \ We derive in particular new conditions sufficient for subnormality of a weighted shift, and each example contains implicitly an example or family of infinitely divisible Hankel matrices, many of which appear to be new.