Some inverse scattering problems on star-shaped graphs

Abstract

Having in mind applications to the fault-detection/diagnosis of lossless electrical networks, here we consider some inverse scattering problems for Schrödinger operators over star-shaped graphs. We restrict ourselves to the case of minimal experimental setup consisting in measuring, at most, two reflection coefficients when an infinite homogeneous (potential-less) branch is added to the central node. First, by studying the asymptotic behavior of only one reflection coefficient in the high-frequency limit, we prove the identifiability of the geometry of this star-shaped graph: the number of edges and their lengths. Next, we study the potential identification problem by inverse scattering, noting that the potentials represent the inhomogeneities due to the soft faults in the network wirings (potentials with bounded H 1 -norms). The main result states that, under some assumptions on the geometry of the graph, the measurement of two reflection coefficients, associated to two different sets of boundary conditions at the external vertices of the tree, determines uniquely the potentials; it can be seen as a generalization of the theorem of the two boundary spectra on an interval.