We consider the distribution of eigenvalues for the wave equation in annular (electromagnetic or acoustic) ray-splitting billiards. These systems are interesting in that the derivation of the associated smoothed spectral counting function can be considered as a canonical problem. This is achieved by extending a formalism developed by Berry and Howls for ordinary (without ray-splitting) billiards [Berry and Howls, Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 447, 527 (1994)]. Our results are confirmed by numerical computations and permit us to infer a set of rules useful in order to obtain Weyl formulas for more general ray-splitting billiards.

• Received 20 May 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.68.046204