On the equivalence of heat kernel estimates and logarithmic Sobolev inequalities for the Hodge Laplacian

In this paper we consider the Hodge Laplacian on differential k-forms over smooth open manifolds MN, not necessarily compact. We find sufficient conditions under which the existence of a family of logarithmic Sobolev inequalities for the Hodge Laplacian is equivalent to the ultracontractivity of its heat operator. We will also show how to obtain a logarithmic Sobolev inequality for the Hodge Laplacian when there exists one for the Laplacian on functions. In the particular case of Ricci curvature bounded below, we use the Gaussian type bound for the heat kernel of the Laplacian on functions in order to obtain a similar Gaussian type bound for the heat kernel of the Hodge Laplacian. This is done via logarithmic Sobolev inequalities and under the additional assumption that the volume of balls of radius one is uniformly bounded below.