Generation of analytic semi-groups in L² for a class of second order degenerate elliptic operators

We study the generation of analytic semigroups in the L² topology by second order elliptic operators in divergence form, that may degenerate at the boundary of the space domain. Our results, that hold in two space dimensions, guarantee that the solutions of the corresponding evolution problems support integration by parts. So, this paper provides the basis for deriving Carleman type estimates for degenerate parabolic operators.