Heat coefficient $a_4$ for nonminimal Laplace type operators

Abstract

Given a smooth hermitean vector bundle $V$ of fiber $\mathbb{C}^N$ over a compact Riemannian manifold and $\nabla$ a covariant derivative on $V$, let $P = -(\lvert g \rvert^{-1/2} \nabla_\mu \lvert g \rvert^{1/2} g^{\mu\nu} u \nabla_\nu + p^\mu \nabla_\mu +q)$ be a nonminimal Laplace type operator acting on smooth sections of $V$ where $u,\,p^\nu,\,q$ are $M_N(\mathbb{C})$-valued functions with $u$ positive and invertible. For any $a \in \Gamma(\text{End}(V))$, we consider the asymptotics $\text{Tr} \,a \,e^{-tP} \sim_{t \downarrow 0} \,\sum_{r=0}^\infty a_r(a, P)\,t^{(r-d)/2}$ where the coefficients $a_r(a, P)$ can be written as an integral of the functions $a_r(a, P)(x) = \text{tr}\,[a(x) \,\mathcal{R}_r(x)]$. This paper revisits the previous computation of $\mathcal{R}_2$ by the authors and is mainly devoted to a computation of $\mathcal{R}_4$. The results are presented with $u$-dependent operators which are universal (\textsl{i.e.} $P$-independent) and which act on tensor products of $u$, $p^\mu$, $q$ and their derivatives via (also universal) spectral functions which are fully described.