A spectral Paley-Wiener theorem

The Fourier inversion formula in polar form is (f(x) = int_0^infty {P_lambda } f(x)dlambda ) for suitable functionsf on ? ⁿ , whereP _λ f(x) is given by convolution off with a multiple of the usual spherical function associated with the Euclidean motion group. In this form, Fourier inversion is essentially a statement of the spectral theorem for the Laplacian and the key question is: how are the properties off andP _λ f related? This paper provides a Paley-Wiener theorem within this avenue of thought generalizing a result due to Strichartz and provides a spectral reformulation of a Paley-Wiener theorem for the Fourier transform due to Helgason. As an application we prove support theorems for certain functions of the Laplacian.