Spectral asymptotics for the third order operator with periodic coefficients

We consider the self-adjoint third order operator with 1-periodic coefficients on the real line. The spectrum of the operator is absolutely continuous and covers the real line. We determine the high energy asymptotics of the periodic, antiperiodic eigenvalues and of the branch points of the Lyapunov function. Furthermore, in the case of small coefficients we show that either whole spectrum has multiplicity one or the spectrum has multiplicity one except for a small spectral nonempty interval with multiplicity three. In the last case the asymptotics of this small interval is determined. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.