On Neumann-Poincar\'e operators and self-adjoint transmission problems

Abstract

We discuss the self-adjointness in $L^2$-setting of the operators acting as $-\nabla\cdot h\nabla$, with piecewise constant functions $h$ having a jump along a Lipschitz hypersurface $\Sigma$, without explicit assumptions on the sign of $h$. We establish a number of sufficient conditions for the self-adjointness of the operator with $H^s$-regularity for suitable $s\in[1,\frac{3}{2}]$, in terms of the jump value and the regularity and geometric properties of $\Sigma$. An important intermediate step is a link with Fredholm properties of the Neumann-Poincar\'e operator on $\Sigma$, which is new for the Lipschitz setting.