On the law of killed exponential functionals

Abstract

For two independent L\'{e}vy processes $\xi$ and $\eta$ and an exponentially distributed random variable $\tau$ with parameter $q>0$ that is independent of $\xi$ and $\eta$, the killed exponential functional is given by $V_{q,\xi,\eta} := \int_0^\tau \mathrm{e}^{-\xi_{s-}} \, \mathrm{d} \eta_s$. With the killed exponential functional arising as the stationary distribution of a Markov process, we calculate the infinitesimal generator of the process and use it to derive different distributional equations describing the law of $V_{q,\xi,\eta}$, as well as functional equations for its Lebesgue density in the absolutely continuous case. Various special cases and examples are considered, yielding more explicit information on the law of the killed exponential functional and illustrating the applications of the equations obtained. Interpreting the case $q=0$ as $\tau=\infty$ leads to the classical exponential functional $\int_0^\infty \mathrm{e}^{-\xi_{s-}} \, \mathrm{d} \eta_s$, allowing to extend many previous results to include killing.