Spatial structure of invariants in monochromatic field configurations of dimension D > 1

We consider scalar (intensity, ellipticity) and gradient vector invariants for monochromatic field configurations of dimension D > 1. We analyze their spatial structure and peculiarities of the vector invariants (divergence and ambiguity, vortex fields) near singular regions (intensity extrema, regions of circular and linear polarizations). We study the convergence and definiteness of physical quantities (the multipole moments of atoms, the light-induced force, the diffusion tensor) with an invariant representation in the basis of these vector invariants. Various spatial structures of singular regions are presented for symmetric two- and three-dimensional configurations of a monochromatic field. (C) 2003 MAIK "Nauka / Interperiodica".