Classification of phase singularities for complex scalar waves

Abstract

Motivated by the importance and universal character of phase singularities which are clarified recently, we study the local structure of equi-phase loci near the dislocation locus of complex valued planar and spatial waves, from the viewpoint of singularity theory of differentiable mappings, initiated by H. Whitney and R. Thom. The classification of phase-singularities are reduced to the classification of planar curves by radial transformations due to the theory of A. du Plessis, T. Gaffney, and L. Wilson. Then fold singularities are classified into hyperbolic and elliptic singularities. We show that the elliptic singularities are never realized by any Helmholtz waves, while the hyperbolic singularities are realized in fact. Moreover, the classification and realizability of Whitney's cusp, as well as its bifurcation problem are considered in order to explain the three points bifurcation of phase singularities. In this paper, we treat the dislocation of linear waves mainly, developing the basic and universal method, the method of jets and transversality, which is applicable also to non-linear waves.