Smoothness of convolution products of orbital measures on rank one compact symmetric spaces

Abstract: We prove that all convolution products of pairs of continuous orbital measures in rank one, compact symmetric spaces are absolutely continuous and determine which convolution products are in $L^{2}$ (meaning, their density function is in $L^{2})$. Characterizations of the pairs whose convolution product is either absolutely continuous or in $L^2$ are given in terms of the dimensions of the corresponding double cosets. In particular, we prove that if $G/K$ is not $SU(2)/SO(2),$ then the convolution of any two regular orbital measures is in $L^{2}$, while in $SU(2)/SO(2)$ there are no pairs of orbital measures whose convolution product is in $L^{2}$.