Spectral inequalities for non-selfadjoint elliptic operators and application to the null-controllability of parabolic systems

We consider elliptic operators A on a bounded domain, that are compact perturbations of a selfadjoint operator. We first recall some spectral properties of such operators: localization of the spectrum and resolvent estimates. We then derive a spectral inequality that measures the norm of finite sums of root vectors of A through an observation, with an exponential cost. Following the strategy of Lebeau and Robbiano (1995) [25], we deduce the construction of a control for the non-selfadjoint parabolic problem partial derivative(t)u + Au = Bg. In particular, the L-2 norm of the control that achieves the extinction of the lower modes of A is estimated. Examples and applications are provided for systems of weakly coupled parabolic equations and for the measurement of the level sets of finite sums of root functions of A. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.